Question

Suppose a reaction has the equilibrium constant \(K=1.7 \times 10^{-8}\) at a particular temperature. Will there be a large or small amount of unreacted starting material present when this reaction reaches equilibrium? Is this reaction likely to be a good source of products at this temperature?

Short answer

The equilibrium constant K for the reaction is given as \(1.7 \times 10^{-8}\), which is an extremely small value. This indicates that there will be a large amount of unreacted starting material and a small amount of products at equilibrium. Therefore, this reaction is not likely to be a good source of products at this temperature.

Step-by-step solution

Interpret the given equilibrium constant value

The equilibrium constant K is given as \(1.7 \times 10^{-8}\). Since this value is extremely small, it indicates that there will be a considerably larger amount of unreacted starting material (reactants) than products when the reaction reaches equilibrium.

Determine the amount of unreacted starting material at equilibrium

As we have concluded that the equilibrium constant K indicates a much higher concentration of reactants compared to products when the reaction is at equilibrium, it can be inferred that there will be a large amount of unreacted starting material present at equilibrium.

Evaluate the reaction as a source of products

Since the value of K is very small, resulting in a large amount of unreacted starting material and small amount of products at equilibrium, this reaction is not likely to be a good source of products at this temperature. Increasing the temperature or adding a catalyst may improve product formation in some cases.