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Adding 0.10 mol of nitrogen dioxide to a 1.0 litre flask at 25 degrees Celsius left equilibrium concentrations of:
A0.050 M NO2 and 0.050 M N2O4
B0.016 M NO2 and 0.042 M N2O4
C0.042 M NO2 and 0.016 M N2O4
D0.100 M NO2 and 0.000 M N2O4
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. 0.016 M NO2 and 0.042 M N2O4
1. The dimerisation of nitrogen dioxide to dinitrogen tetroxide is a classic equilibrium.
2. When 0.10 mol of nitrogen dioxide is added to a 1.0 litre flask at 25 degrees Celsius, the concentration changes.
3. At equilibrium the nitrogen dioxide concentration is 0.016 M and the dinitrogen tetroxide concentration is 0.042 M.
4. Note that two nitrogen dioxide molecules make one dinitrogen tetroxide, so the numbers are consistent with the starting amount.
5. Swapping the two values reverses which species is favoured, which is the trap here.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 13 'Fundamental Equilibrium Concepts', sections 13.1-13.4_
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