A company desires to produce nickel from refining nickel oxide and sulfide ores. The first step of the process will

produce a nickel carbonyl gas Ni (CO), by heating the ore. The second step is as follows:

Ni (CO) 4 (g) Ni (s) + 4CO (g)

What effect on the process would be caused by increasing pressure?

-Ni would be produced at a lower rate

-Ni would be produced at a higher rate

-no effect on this particular reaction

Ni would be produced at a higher rate

Explanation:

The concentration of the products (and reactants) depends on the partial pressures of the products (and reactants), but if the number of moles of gaseous reactants is equal to the number of moles of gaseous products, pressure has no effect on equilibrium.

Changing the total pressure by adding an inert gas at constant volume will not affect the equilibrium concentrations.

The balanced equation Ni (CO) 4 (g) → Ni (s) + 4CO (g) may serve as an example for pressure or volume change:

The number of moles on the left is 1, while the number of moles on the right is 5. It is established through Avogadro's law that says that an equal number of moles of gas occupies an equal volume. The particles on the right-hand side of the reaction thus occupy a larger volume. than those on the left side.

In the case where the pressure is increased (or the volume reduced), the equilibrium will shift to the side of the smallest number of particles. In this case, that is the side of Ni (CO) 4. (When the pressure is lowered, the particles can take up more space and the balance will shift to the side with the largest number of particles. In the above case, this is on the side of Ni + 4CO.)

The same principle applies to reactions in solution, because the concentration is proportional to the pressure (the number of particles per volume). A concentration increase therefore has the same effect as a pressure increase, while a dilution produces the same as a pressure reduction.

Since the equillibrium has moved to the left, the system tries to counteract the increase in pressure of gas molecules by shifting to the side that exerts lower pressure. This means Ni would be produced at a higher rate.