IChO 1978 · Theory problem 4

Thermal decomposition of ethane in a closed vessel

A vessel of a volume of \(5.0\ \mathrm{dm^3}\) was filled with ethane at a temperature of 300 K and normal pressure and sealed. The vessel with the gas was then heated and the pressure in it was measured at distinct temperatures. The following data were found:

\(T\) (K) Pressure \(p\), measured (kPa) Pressure \(p'\), calculated (kPa)
300 101.25
500 169.20
800 276.11
1000 500.48

Problems:

4.1 Calculate the pressure \(p'\) of ethane in the vessel according to the ideal gas law equation and fill in the values in a free column in the above table.

\[ (R = 8.314\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}}) \]

4.2 Explain the differences between theoretical value \(p'\) and those (\(p\)) obtained by measurements.

4.3 Write the chemical equation for the reaction which takes place probably in the vessel at higher temperatures.

4.4 Calculate the value for the conversion degree \(\alpha\) of ethane and that for equilibrium constant \(K_p\) of the reaction that takes place at temperatures of 800 and 1000 K.

4.5 The ratio of equilibrium constant \(K_p\) at two different temperatures is according to van’t Hoff’s equation equal to:

\[ \ln\frac{K_1}{K_2} = \frac{\overline{\Delta H}}{R} = \left(\frac{1}{T_2}-\frac{1}{T_1}\right) \]

\[ (\ln = 2.303\log) \]

Calculate the mean value \(\overline{\Delta H}\) for reaction heat in the temperature range of 800 – 1000 K.

4.6 What influence will have an elevation of temperature and pressure on the conversion degree of ethane?

4.7 Calculate the relative error of the calculation.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 4.1 At 300, 500, 800 and 1000 K, respectively: \(p'=101.25,\ 168.75,\ 270.00,\ 337.50\ \mathrm{kPa}\).
  • 4.2 Thermal decomposition increases the amount of gas, raising the pressure above the prediction for unchanged ethane.
  • 4.3 Ethane CC undergoes dehydrogenation to ethene C=C and hydrogen [H][H]: \[ \ce{C2H6(g) <=> C2H4(g) + H2(g)}. \]
  • 4.4 At 800 K: \(\alpha=0.0226=2.26\%\), \(K_p=0.141\ \mathrm{kPa}\). At 1000 K: \(\alpha=0.483=48.3\%\), \(K_p=152\ \mathrm{kPa}\). These \(K_p\) values use the pressure-quotient convention; dimensionless values for \(p^\circ=100\ \mathrm{kPa}\) are \(1.41\times10^{-3}\) and \(1.52\).
  • 4.5 \(\boxed{\overline{\Delta H}=+232\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}}\), per mole of ethane converted.
  • 4.6 Increasing temperature increases conversion; increasing pressure by isothermal compression decreases conversion.
  • 4.7 Interpreting “relative error” as \(|p'-p|/p\), the values at 300, 500, 800 and 1000 K are \(0,\ 0.266\%,\ 2.21\%,\ 32.6\%\), respectively. The requested error is not otherwise specified.

Solution

4.1

Let \(n_0\) be the initial amount of ethane. For the reference calculation, its amount and the vessel volume remain constant:

\[ p_0V=n_0RT_0,\qquad p'V=n_0RT. \]

Dividing eliminates both \(n_0\) and \(V\):

\[ p'=p_0\frac{T}{T_0} =(101.25\ \mathrm{kPa})\frac{T}{300\ \mathrm K}. \]

The completed table is therefore:

\(T\) (K) Measured \(p\) (kPa) Calculated \(p'\) (kPa)
300 101.25 101.25
500 169.20 168.75
800 276.11 270.00
1000 500.48 337.50

4.2

The calculation above assumes that heating leaves the chemical composition unchanged. A reaction that produces more gas molecules increases the total amount of gas, and hence its pressure at a given temperature and volume:

\[ p=\frac{n_{\mathrm{total}}RT}{V}. \]

The excess pressures are

\[ p-p'=0,\ 0.45,\ 6.11,\ 162.98\ \mathrm{kPa} \]

at the four successive temperatures. The substantial increase at high temperature is consistent with thermal decomposition of ethane.

The small discrepancy at 500 K could also include gas nonideality or experimental error. The supplied data do not separate these contributions. For the requested equilibrium calculations, we assume ideal-gas behavior and attribute the high-temperature excess pressure to the reaction below.

4.3

A probable reaction is dehydrogenation: ethane, CC, loses hydrogen, [H][H], to form the corresponding alkene, ethene, C=C:

\[ \boxed{\ce{C2H6(g) <=> C2H4(g) + H2(g)}}. \]

The equation conserves both carbon and hydrogen. Each mole of ethane converted produces two moles of gaseous products, giving a net increase of one mole of gas. This explains the observed pressure increase.

4.4

Define the conversion degree by

\[ \alpha=\frac{\text{amount of ethane converted}}{n_0}. \]

Starting from pure ethane, the amounts are:

State \(\ce{C2H6}\) \(\ce{C2H4}\) \(\ce{H2}\)
Initially \(n_0\) \(0\) \(0\)
At equilibrium \(n_0(1-\alpha)\) \(n_0\alpha\) \(n_0\alpha\)

Thus,

\[ n_{\mathrm{total}}=n_0(1+\alpha), \qquad p=p'(1+\alpha), \]

and

\[ \boxed{\alpha=\frac{p-p'}{p'}}. \]

At 800 K,

\[ \alpha_{800}=\frac{276.11-270.00}{270.00} =0.0226296\approx\boxed{2.26\%}. \]

At 1000 K,

\[ \alpha_{1000}=\frac{500.48-337.50}{337.50} =0.482904\approx\boxed{48.3\%}. \]

For ideal gases, each partial pressure is its amount multiplied by \(RT/V\). Therefore,

\[ p_{\ce{C2H6}}=(1-\alpha)p'=2p'-p, \]

\[ p_{\ce{C2H4}}=p_{\ce{H2}}=\alpha p'=p-p'. \]

Using the pressure-quotient convention,

\[ K_p=\frac{p_{\ce{C2H4}}p_{\ce{H2}}}{p_{\ce{C2H6}}} =\frac{\alpha^2p'}{1-\alpha} =\frac{\alpha^2p}{1-\alpha^2} =\boxed{\frac{(p-p')^2}{2p'-p}}. \]

The partial pressures are:

\(T\) (K) \(p_{\ce{C2H6}}\) (kPa) \(p_{\ce{C2H4}}\) (kPa) \(p_{\ce{H2}}\) (kPa)
800 263.89 6.11 6.11
1000 174.52 162.98 162.98

Consequently,

\[ K_{p,800}=\frac{(6.11)^2}{263.89} =0.141468\ldots\ \mathrm{kPa} \approx\boxed{0.141\ \mathrm{kPa}}, \]

\[ K_{p,1000}=\frac{(162.98)^2}{174.52} =152.203\ldots\ \mathrm{kPa} \approx\boxed{152\ \mathrm{kPa}}. \]

The dimensionless thermodynamic equilibrium constant includes a standard pressure:

\[ K_{p,\mathrm{dimensionless}} = \frac{(p_{\ce{C2H4}}/p^\circ)(p_{\ce{H2}}/p^\circ)} {p_{\ce{C2H6}}/p^\circ} = \frac{K_p}{p^\circ}. \]

For \(p^\circ=100\ \mathrm{kPa}\), its values are \(1.41\times10^{-3}\) and \(1.52\), respectively. Either convention gives the same ratio between temperatures.

4.5

The second equality sign in the printed van’t Hoff equation must be replaced by multiplication. The dimensionally consistent equation is

\[ \ln\frac{K_1}{K_2} = \frac{\overline{\Delta H}}{R} \left(\frac{1}{T_2}-\frac{1}{T_1}\right). \]

Taking \(T_1=1000\ \mathrm K\) and \(T_2=800\ \mathrm K\),

\[ \overline{\Delta H} = \frac{R\ln(K_{p,1000}/K_{p,800})} {1/800-1/1000}. \]

Using the unrounded equilibrium constants,

\[ \ln\frac{152.203\ldots}{0.141468\ldots} =6.98089, \]

and

\[ \frac1{800}-\frac1{1000} =2.50\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{K^{-1}}. \]

Hence,

\[ \overline{\Delta H} = \frac{(8.314\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}})(6.98089)} {2.50\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{K^{-1}}} =2.32157\times10^5\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}}. \]

Thus,

\[ \boxed{\overline{\Delta H}\approx+232\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}}. \]

The reaction is endothermic.

4.6

Increasing temperature favors the endothermic forward reaction and therefore increases the equilibrium conversion of ethane.

Increasing pressure by compression at constant temperature favors the side with fewer gas molecules. The reactant side contains one mole of gas per stoichiometric reaction, whereas the product side contains two; compression therefore decreases conversion.

This also follows from

\[ K_p=\frac{\alpha^2p}{1-\alpha^2} \quad\Longrightarrow\quad \alpha=\sqrt{\frac{K_p}{p+K_p}}. \]

At fixed temperature, \(K_p\) is constant, so increasing \(p\) decreases \(\alpha\).

In the stated experiment, heating a rigid vessel causes temperature, pressure and conversion to rise together; pressure is not independently increased by compression.

4.7

The problem does not identify which calculation’s relative error is required. The directly available comparison is between the calculated and measured pressures.

Taking the measured pressure as the reference, define the magnitude of the relative discrepancy as

\[ \boxed{\varepsilon_p=\frac{|p'-p|}{p}\times100\%}. \]

If instead the requested quantity is the pressure excess relative to the calculated pressure, its denominator is \(p'\). Both conventions give:

\(T\) (K) \(\dfrac{|p'-p|}{p}\times100\%\) \(\dfrac{|p-p'|}{p'}\times100\%\)
300 \(0\%\) \(0\%\)
500 \(0.266\%\) \(0.267\%\)
800 \(2.21\%\) \(2.26\%\)
1000 \(32.6\%\) \(48.3\%\)

For example, at 1000 K,

\[ \varepsilon_p =\frac{500.48-337.50}{500.48}\times100\% =32.5647\ldots\%. \]

Under the assumed reaction model, the last column equals \(100\alpha\). These discrepancies quantify the failure of the unchanged-composition pressure prediction. A numerical uncertainty or relative error in \(\alpha\), \(K_p\), or \(\overline{\Delta H}\) cannot be determined without measurement uncertainties or independent reference values.

The solution was checked against the official solution.