Professor Ndekele asks you to test a new low temperature catalyst for the decomposition of ammonia, NH3. With previously existing catalysts decomposing ammonia requires a temperature of 450 ºC, but this new catalyst is said to be effective at a temperature of 100 ºC!
The Scenario
Professor Ndekele asks you to test a new low temperature catalyst for the decomposition of ammonia, NH3. With previously existing catalysts decomposing ammonia requires a temperature of 450 ºC, but this new catalyst is said to be effective at a temperature of 100 ºC!
You plan to heat ammonia gas with the catalyst in a flask connected to a manometer and track the reaction by the change in pressure, which should increase as the temperature increases and as the reaction progresses and the number of moles of gas increases via the balanced chemical equation:
2 NH3 (g) → N2 (g) + 3 H2 (g)
You make the following observations.
Observations
- Vflask = 1.00 L
- Patm = 630.5 mmHg
- TRoom = 23.2 ºC
- Before heating h = 0.00
- As you heat the flask, the mercury falls on the flask side of the manometer and rises on the open end.
- At 100.0 ºC, the height difference in the flask is 65.5 cm.
Analysis
**convert all T-values to K for
- Use the ideal gas equation to determine the number of moles of gas present before heating.
- Use stoichiometry and the result from Q1 to calculate how many total moles of gas (N2 and H2) should be produced assuming the reaction proceeds 100%.
- Use h and the atmospheric pressure to calculate in the flask to calculate the pressure inside the flask at 100 ºC.
- Use the ideal gas equation and the result from Q3 to determine the number of moles of gas in the flask at 100 ºC
- Compare the results from Q4 and Q2 to quantify how far the reaction progressed - is the catalyst 100% effective at this temperature?
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