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Ch.15 - Chemical Equilibrium
All textbooksBrown 14th EditionCh.15 - Chemical EquilibriumProblem 67
Chapter 15, Problem 67

Ozone, O3, decomposes to molecular oxygen in the stratosphere according to the reaction 2 O31g2¡3 O21g2. Would an increase in pressure favor the formation of ozone or of oxygen?

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1
Identify the reaction: 2 O_3(g) \rightarrow 3 O_2(g).
Apply Le Chatelier's Principle, which states that a system at equilibrium will adjust to counteract any changes imposed on it.
Consider the effect of pressure on the reaction. Increasing pressure favors the side with fewer moles of gas.
Count the moles of gas on each side of the reaction: 2 moles of O_3 on the left and 3 moles of O_2 on the right.
Determine which side is favored by increased pressure: the side with fewer moles, which is the reactants (O_3).

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Le Chatelier's Principle

Le Chatelier's Principle states that if a dynamic equilibrium is disturbed by changing the conditions, the position of equilibrium shifts to counteract the change. In the context of gas reactions, increasing pressure will favor the side of the reaction with fewer moles of gas, as this reduces the overall pressure.
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Stoichiometry of the Reaction

The stoichiometry of the reaction 2 O3(g) → 3 O2(g) indicates that two moles of ozone decompose to produce three moles of oxygen. This means that for every two moles of ozone, three moles of oxygen are generated, resulting in an increase in the total number of gas moles when ozone decomposes.
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Gas Laws

Gas laws describe the behavior of gases under various conditions of pressure, volume, and temperature. According to the ideal gas law, increasing pressure at constant temperature will affect the equilibrium position of a reaction involving gases, influencing the amounts of reactants and products present.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question

Methanol (CH3OH) can be made by the reaction of CO with H2: CO(𝑔) + 2 H2(𝑔) ⇌ CH3OH(𝑔) (a) Use thermochemical data in Appendix C to calculate ΔH° for this reaction.

Textbook Question

Methanol (CH3OH) can be made by the reaction of CO with H2: CO(𝑔) + 2 H2(𝑔) ⇌ CH3OH(𝑔) (b) To maximize the equilibrium yield of methanol, would you use a high or low temperature?

Textbook Question

Methanol (CH3OH) can be made by the reaction of CO with H2: CO(𝑔) + 2 H2(𝑔) ⇌ CH3OH(𝑔) (c) To maximize the equilibrium yield of methanol, would you use a high or low pressure?

Textbook Question
The water–gas shift reaction CO1g2 + H2O1g2ΔCO21g2 + H21g2 is used industrially to produce hydrogen.The reaction enthalpy is H = -41 kJ.(b) Could you increase the equilibrium yieldof hydrogen by controlling the pressure of this reaction? Ifso would high or low pressure favor formation of H2(g)?
Textbook Question

(a) Is the dissociation of fluorine molecules into atomic fluorine, F2(𝑔) ⇌ 2 F(𝑔), an exothermic or endothermic process?

Textbook Question

(b) If the temperature is raised by 100 K, does the equilibrium constant for this reaction increase or decrease?