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

At the given temperature, with an equilibrium constant of \(1.7 \times 10^{-8}\), there will be a large amount of unreacted starting material when the reaction reaches equilibrium. This reaction is not likely to be a good source of products at this temperature, as the small K value indicates that the equilibrium favors the reactants. To improve product yield, a different temperature or catalyst may be necessary.

Step-by-step solution

Analyze the given equilibrium constant (K) value

The equilibrium constant (K) for this reaction is \(1.7 \times 10^{-8}\). This is a very small value, which indicates that at equilibrium, the concentration of reactants is much higher than the concentration of products.

Determine the amount of unreacted starting material

Due to the K value being very small, it suggests that at equilibrium, there is a large amount of unreacted starting material. Consequently, only a small fraction of starting material is converted into products.

Evaluate the reaction as a source of products at this temperature

Since there is a significant amount of unreacted starting material at equilibrium, we can conclude that the reaction at this particular temperature is not likely to be a good source of products. The small K value illustrates that the reaction favors the reactants, making it difficult to obtain a high yield of products from this reaction. To improve the yield of products, a different temperature or possibly a catalyst may need to be explored to shift the equilibrium in favor of product formation.