IChO 1970 · Theory problem 3

Equilibrium mixture from carbon monoxide and water vapour

Carbon monoxide was mixed with 1.5 times greater volume of water vapours. What will be the composition (in mass as well as in volume %) of the gaseous mixture in the equilibrium state if 80 % of carbon monoxide is converted to carbon dioxide?

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • Problem 3: The equilibrium mixture has the following composition, including the remaining water vapour:
Component Mass % Volume %
Carbon monoxide, \(\ce{CO}\), [C-]#[O+] 10.2 8.0
Water vapour, \(\ce{H2O}\), O 22.9 28.0
Carbon dioxide, \(\ce{CO2}\), O=C=O 64.0 32.0
Hydrogen, \(\ce{H2}\), [H][H] 2.9 32.0
Total 100.0 100.0

Solution

The balanced equilibrium reaction is

\[ \ce{CO(g) + H2O(g) <=> CO2(g) + H2(g)}. \]

At the same temperature and pressure, ideal-gas volumes are proportional to amounts in moles. Taking the initial water-vapour volume as \(1.5\) times the carbon-monoxide volume, choose a basis of

\[ n_0(\ce{CO})=1.00\ \mathrm{mol}, \qquad n_0(\ce{H2O})=1.50\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

Since \(80\%\) of the carbon monoxide reacts, the amount consumed is

\[ n_{\mathrm{reacted}}(\ce{CO}) =0.80(1.00\ \mathrm{mol}) =0.80\ \mathrm{mol}. \]

The reaction consumes an equal amount of water and forms \(0.80\ \mathrm{mol}\) each of carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

Using the conventional molar masses \(28,\ 18,\ 44,\ 2\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\), respectively:

Species Initial amount / mol Change / mol Equilibrium amount / mol Equilibrium mass / g
\(\ce{CO}\) 1.00 \(-0.80\) 0.20 5.60
\(\ce{H2O}\) 1.50 \(-0.80\) 0.70 12.60
\(\ce{CO2}\) 0 \(+0.80\) 0.80 35.20
\(\ce{H2}\) 0 \(+0.80\) 0.80 1.60
Total 2.50 0 2.50 55.00

The mass percentages follow from

\[ \text{Mass percentage of }i=\frac{m_i}{55.00\ \mathrm{g}}\times100\%. \]

Thus, in the order \(\ce{CO},\ce{H2O},\ce{CO2},\ce{H2}\),

\[ \frac{(5.60,\ 12.60,\ 35.20,\ 1.60)}{55.00}\times100\% \approx(10.2,\ 22.9,\ 64.0,\ 2.9)\%. \]

The volume percentages equal the mole percentages:

\[ \text{Volume percentage of }i =\frac{n_i}{2.50\ \mathrm{mol}}\times100\%. \]

Therefore, in the same order,

\[ \frac{(0.20,\ 0.70,\ 0.80,\ 0.80)}{2.50}\times100\% =(8.0,\ 28.0,\ 32.0,\ 32.0)\%. \]

The solution was checked against the official solution.