Question

The acid HOCl (hypochlorous acid) is produced by bubbling chlorine gas through a suspension of solid mercury(II) oxide particles in liquid water according to the equation 2HgO(s)+H2O(l)+2Cl2(g)⇌2HOCl(aq)+HgO⋅HgCl2(s) What is the equilibrium-constant expression for this reaction?
The acid (hypochlorous acid) is produced by bubbling chlorine gas through a suspension of solid mercury(II) oxide particles in liquid water according to the equation

What is the equilibrium-constant expression for this reaction?

a) K=[HOCl]2[HgO⋅HgCl2][Cl2]2[H2O][HgO]2
b) K=[HOCl]2[Cl2]2[H2O]
c) K=[HOCl]2[Cl2]2
d) K=[Cl2]2[HOCl]2

Answer 1

Answer:

K = [ HOCl ] . [HgO. HgCl2] / [Cl2]^2 [H2O] [HgO]^2

Explanation:

The law of Mass Action states that, at constant temperature, the rate of reaction is proportional to the active masses of each of the reactants.

The reaction above is a reversible reaction and the law of mass action also applies to it.

The rate of reaction from left-to-right reaction = r1 = k. [Cl2]^2 [H2O] [HgO]^2

Rate of reaction from right - to - left r2 = k. [hocl]^2 [HgO . hgcl2]

Then at equilibrium,

r1 = r2

k1/k2 = [HOCl ]^2 [HgO. HgCl2] / [Cl2]^2 [H2O] [HgO]^2 = K

where K is the equilibrium constant for the reaction.