Question

At \(1000^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\), the equilibrium constant for the reaction of the system \(2 \mathrm{II}_{2}(\mathrm{~g}) \mathrm{O}_{2}(\mathrm{~g}) \rightleftharpoons 2 \mathrm{II}_{2} \mathrm{O}(\mathrm{g})\) is very largc. This implics that (1) \(\mathrm{II}_{2} \mathrm{O}(\mathrm{g})\) is unstable at \(1000^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) (2) \(\mathrm{II}_{2}(\mathrm{~g})\) is unstable at \(1000^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) (3) \(\mathrm{II}_{2}\) and \(\mathrm{O}_{2}\) have very little tendency to combinc at \(1000^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) (4) \(\mathrm{II}_{2} \mathrm{O}(\mathrm{g})\) has very little tendency to decompose into \(\mathrm{II}_{2}(\mathrm{~g})\) and \(\mathrm{O}_{2}(\mathrm{~g})\) at \(1000^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\)

Short answer

The correct answer is option 4.

Step-by-step solution

Understand the Equilibrium Constant

The equilibrium constant (K) expresses the ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants at equilibrium. A very large equilibrium constant means that, at equilibrium, the concentration of the products is much higher than that of the reactants.

Analyze the Reaction

For the reaction \(2 \mathrm{II}_{2}(\text{g}) + \mathrm{O}_{2}(\text{g}) \rightleftharpoons 2 \mathrm{II}_{2}\mathrm{O}(\text{g})\), the large equilibrium constant indicates that the formation of \(\mathrm{II}_{2}\mathrm{O}(\text{g})\) is highly favored over the reverse reaction, which is the decomposition of \(\mathrm{II}_{2}\mathrm{O}(\text{g})\).

Deduce the Stability of Compounds

Since the equilibrium heavily favors the formation of \(\mathrm{II}_{2}\mathrm{O}(\text{g})\), it suggests that \(\mathrm{II}_{2}\mathrm{O}(\text{g})\) is stable and does not easily decompose back into \(\mathrm{II}_{2}(\text{g})\) and \(\mathrm{O}_{2}(\text{g})\) at \(1000^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) (option 4).

Eliminate Incorrect Options

Option 1 is incorrect because \(\mathrm{II}_{2}\mathrm{O}(\text{g})\) is actually stable. Option 2 is incorrect because it doesn’t follow from the information given about the equilibrium constant. Option 3 is likewise incorrect as the high K value means \(\mathrm{II}_{2}(\text{g})\) and \(\mathrm{O}_{2}(\text{g})\) combine readily.

Select the Correct Option

Therefore, the correct answer is option 4: \(\mathrm{II}_{2}\mathrm{O}(\text{g})\) has very little tendency to decompose into \(\mathrm{II}_{2}(\text{g})\) and \(\mathrm{O}_{2}(\text{g})\) at \(1000^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\).

Key concepts

Equilibrium Constant

The equilibrium constant, symbolized as K, is a crucial concept in chemistry that quantifies the balance between products and reactants in a chemical reaction at equilibrium. The formula for the equilibrium constant is given by the ratio of the concentrations of the products to the reactants, each raised to the power of their respective stoichiometric coefficients. Mathematically, for a reaction of the form aA + bB onumber cC + dD. keep