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(2)Pre-Equilibria Conditions in Reaction Mechanisms CO(g) + Cl2(g) --> COCl2(g)

ID: 593653 • Letter: #

Question

(2)Pre-Equilibria Conditions in Reaction Mechanisms

CO(g) + Cl2(g) --> COCl2(g)

The above reaction obeys the mechanism:

Cl2 = 2Cl Fast equilibrium

Cl + CO = COCl Fast equilibrium

COCl + Cl2 --> COCl2 + Cl Slow

2Cl --> Cl2 Fast

(a) Consider each of the following expressions and select "Yes" or "No" to indicate which represent a correct statement of the rate law that is consistent with the given mechanism.

d[COCl2]/dt = k[CO][Cl]^3/2

-d[CO]/dt = k[Cl2]^3/2[CO]

d[COCl2]/dt = k[Cl2]^2/3[CO]

d[COCl2]/dt = k[Cl2]

d[COCl2]/dt = k[CO][Cl2]^3

d[Cl2]/dt = k[Cl]^2

(again say yes or no to the above expressions)

(b) Suppose that:

k1/k-1 = 1×10-2 mol L-1,

k2/k-2 = 1×106 L mol-1,

k3 = 1×10-4 L mol-1 s-1,

and k4 = 1×103 L mol-1 s-1.

What would be the value of the overall rate constant, k, including the correct units?

Explanation / Answer

The first reaction
forward reaction

Cl2 = 2Cl

rate constant = k1

rate = (k1)[Cl2]
reverse reaction

2Cl = Cl2

rate constant = k-1

rate = (k-1)[Cl]^2

At equilibrium,

(k1)[Cl2] = (k-1)[Cl]^2

The second reaction
forward reaction

Cl + CO = COCl

rate constant = k2

rate = (k2)[Cl][CO]
reverse reaction

COCl = Cl + CO

rate constant = k-2

rate = (k-2)[COCl]


At equilibrium

(k2)[Cl][CO] = (k-2)[COCl]

The third reaction
forward reaction

COCl + Cl2 = COCl2 + Cl

rate constant = k3

rate = (k3)[COCl][Cl2]

This a slow step, hence it is rate determining step

From the first reaction rate

(k1)[Cl2] = (k-1)[Cl]2

[Cl] = {(k1/k-1)[Cl2]}1/2

From the second reaction rate

(k2)[Cl][CO] = (k-2)[COCl]

[COCl] = (k2/k-2)[Cl][CO]

From the third reaction rate and put the values of [COCl] and [Cl]

(k3)[COCl][Cl2] = {k3*(k2/k-2)*(k1/k-1)1/2}[CO][Cl2]3/2

= {k}[CO][Cl2]3/2

Now let's check out the correct statements

d[COCl2]/dt = k[Cl2]3/2 [CO] = Yes

it shows the appearance of COCl2 and from the third reaction rate it is a correct statement.

-d[CO]/dt = k[CO][Cl2]3/2 = yes

It is the reaction rate of disappearance of CO

It is same as the appearance of COCl2.

d[COCl2]/dt = k[CO][Cl2]2/3 = No

it is the rate of reaction of appearance of COCl2 which is not the correct representation as in for the third reaction rate

d[COCl2]/dt = k[Cl2]3 [CO] = No

It depends on the power 3/2 not just 3

d[Cl2]/dt = k[Cl]2 = No

From the first and third reaction rate

The appearance rate of Cl2

d[Cl2]/dt = k1[Cl]2 - k-1[Cl2] - k[Cl2]3/2[CO]

overall rate constant k = k3*(k2/k-2)*(k1/k-1)1/2

k = 1×10-4 (L mol-1 s-1) *(1×106 L mol-1)*(1×10-2 mol L-1)1/2

k = 10 s-1