The air pollutant NO is produced in automobile engines from the high-temperature reaction N2(g) + O2(g) ⇌ 2 NO(g); Kc = 1.7 * 10^-3 at 2300 K. If the initial concentrations of N2 and O2 at 2300 K are both 1.40 M, what are the concentrations of NO, N2, and O2 when the reaction mixture reaches equilibrium?

Chemical equilibrium occurs when the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal, resulting in constant concentrations of reactants and products. In this state, the system is dynamic, meaning that reactions continue to occur, but there is no net change in concentration. The equilibrium constant (Kc) quantifies the ratio of product concentrations to reactant concentrations at equilibrium, providing insight into the extent of the reaction.

The equilibrium constant (Kc) is a numerical value that expresses the ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants at equilibrium for a given reaction at a specific temperature. For the reaction N2(g) + O2(g) ⇌ 2 NO(g), Kc = [NO]^2 / ([N2][O2]). A small Kc value, like 1.7 * 10^-3, indicates that at equilibrium, the concentration of reactants is much greater than that of products, suggesting that the reaction favors the formation of reactants.

An ICE table is a tool used to organize the initial concentrations, the changes in concentrations as the reaction proceeds, and the equilibrium concentrations of reactants and products. By setting up an ICE table for the given reaction, one can systematically determine how the concentrations of N2, O2, and NO change from their initial values to reach equilibrium. This method simplifies the calculations needed to solve for unknown concentrations at equilibrium.