Question
Help please.
Remember physics? If you recall. PV = nRT is the ideal gas law. In chemical engineering processes, reactions occur in enclosed volumes (reactors) and pressure changes due to reactions between gaseous species are of the utmost importance. A mixture of CO and O2 is enclosed in a chamber with a movable piston and no other gases, with a total pressure of 1 atm. The piston can slide up and down, changing the volume of the chamber such that the pressure inside the chamber never varies from 1 atm. There is exactly enough O2 in the chamber to react completely with the CO to form CO2 with no O2 or CO left over. What is the ratio of the initial volume, before any reaction occurs, to the final volume, after the reaction is complete? Assume that the temperature is the same before and after the reaction (as would happen if you let the heat of reaction dissipate to the environment before measuring the volume).
Explanation / Answer
CO+1/2O2 -> CO2
volume is directly proportional to temperature
n initial x of CO y of O2
final CO is not left O2 is y-1/2 x and CO2 is x
initial to final ratio is = (x+y)/(1/2x+y)
