Concentration or Partial Pressure
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Concentration or Partial Pressure
When do we use concentration to find the equilibrium constant and when do we use partial pressure to find equilibrium constant? Will the question ask for one of the two specifically?
Re: Concentration or Partial Pressure
I am pretty sure that the problem will specify whether we need to calculate kc or kp. It should be made explicit for us.
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Re: Concentration or Partial Pressure
Yes, the question should specify. However, it is important to remember that if you are given moles of gas, you have to convert it to units of pressure using the PV=nRT equation.
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Re: Concentration or Partial Pressure
You can also tell by looking at if the equation is made up of all gases or if its made up of aqueous solutions, gases meaning use Kp and aqueous solutions meaning use Kc
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Re: Concentration or Partial Pressure
By looking at the reactants and products and seeing what you have is the first step in solving the problem. The question will usually say what to use to calculate the K value.
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Re: Concentration or Partial Pressure
If the reactants are all gaseous, you can use their partial pressures to find Kp. If they are a mixture of gases and aqueous solutions, then your best bet is to use Kc. Very similar equations, just Kp uses the partial pressure of the gases while Kc uses the concentrations. Hope that helps!
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Re: Concentration or Partial Pressure
you can calculate them the same way but the question will specify which to use by giving you a value
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Re: Concentration or Partial Pressure
If the question gives you partial pressures, normally in atm, then you will be calculating for Kp. If you are given the concentrations of the reactants or products then you will most likely be calculating for Kc. Of course, make sure to determine what the question is asking for.
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Re: Concentration or Partial Pressure
It should specify, but you should do what makes sense. Aqueous solutions will have concentrations so you should find Kc while gases will probably have partial pressures (but it could also be concentration) so you should find Kp.
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Re: Concentration or Partial Pressure
When do you know if you should use to the equation to convert it or not?
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Re: Concentration or Partial Pressure
if you are given one value in a concentration and one in partial pressure you should use the equation to get them all in the same units
Re: Concentration or Partial Pressure
Shuyi Yu 1B wrote:When do we use concentration to find the equilibrium constant and when do we use partial pressure to find equilibrium constant? Will the question ask for one of the two specifically?
the question should normally specify which you should use
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