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What effect does a decrease in the concentration of nitrogen monoxide (NO) gas have on the rate of reaction in this chemical equation?
[tex]2 NO(g)+H_2(g) \rightarrow N_2 O(g)+H_2 O(g)[/tex]
A decrease in the concentration of nitrogen monoxide [dropdown] between NO and [tex]H _2[/tex] molecules. The rate of the forward reaction then [dropdown].
Answer (1)
Decreasing the concentration of NO reduces the number of NO molecules.
Fewer NO molecules lead to fewer collisions with H 2 molecules.
A decrease in collision rate decreases the rate of the forward reaction.
Therefore, the rate of the forward reaction decreases. d ecre a ses
Explanation
Understanding the Problem The problem describes a chemical reaction: 2 NO ( g ) + H 2 ( g ) i g h t ha r p oo n u p N 2 O ( g ) + H 2 O ( g ) . We are asked to determine what happens to the rate of the reaction if the concentration of nitrogen monoxide (NO) decreases.
Applying Collision Theory According to collision theory, the rate of a reaction is proportional to the frequency of effective collisions between the reactant molecules. In this case, the reactants are NO and H 2 . If the concentration of NO decreases, there will be fewer NO molecules in the same volume. This means that the number of collisions between NO and H 2 molecules will decrease.
Determining the Effect on Reaction Rate Since the rate of the forward reaction depends on the frequency of effective collisions, a decrease in the collision rate between NO and H 2 will cause the rate of the forward reaction to decrease.
Final Answer Therefore, a decrease in the concentration of nitrogen monoxide decreases the number of collisions between NO and H 2 molecules. The rate of the forward reaction then decreases.
Examples
Consider a crowded dance floor where people are bumping into each other frequently. If you reduce the number of dancers, the rate at which people bump into each other decreases. Similarly, in a chemical reaction, decreasing the concentration of reactants reduces the collision frequency, slowing down the reaction. This concept is crucial in industrial processes, where adjusting reactant concentrations can control reaction rates to optimize product yield and minimize waste. For instance, in the Haber-Bosch process for ammonia synthesis, carefully controlling the concentrations of nitrogen and hydrogen is essential for efficient ammonia production.
