Question

The equilibrium constant, Kp, equals 3.40 at 25°C for the isomerization reaction: cis-2-butene ⇌ trans-2-butene. If a flask initially contains 5.00 atm of each gas, the system is___________.

Answer 1

Answer:

The system is not at equilibrium and the reaction will shift to the right until Kp = Q

Explanation:

For the reaction:

cis-2-butene ⇌ trans-2-butene

Kp is defined as:

$Kp = 3.40 = \frac{P_{trans-2-butene}}{P_{cis-2-butene}}$

Where P is the pressure of each gas in equilibrium.

If initially, a flask contains 5.00atm of each gas, Q of reaction will be:

Q = 5.00 atm / 5.00 atm = 1.

As Kp > Q, the system is not at equilibrium and the reaction will shift to the right until Kp = Q