CHM 420 Lab Report 5
CHM 420 Lab Report 5
Data/Results
Questions
Part A, Part D and Part E
How would you explain the shift of equilibrium in term of Le Chatelier’s Principle?
• Le Chatelier's principle states that the net reaction will go in a direction that reduces
the system's stress. An equilibrium may be stressed in several ways. One method is to
change the reactant or product of a chemical process when it reaches equilibrium. The
equilibrium shifts when more reactant is introduced, producing more product as a
result. To lessen the stress, adding more product causes the equilibrium to shift to
reactants. If a reactant or product is taken away, the equilibrium shifts to produce
more of the taken away reactant or product, respectively.
Part B
1. Explain how adding more NH2(aq) caused the equilibria to shift again.
• If NH2 is added more to the solution, it turns into dark blue solution. There is now
more reactant, so the reaction will shift toward products to reduce the added NH2.
2. Explain how 3 M sulphuric acid caused the equilibria to shift back again.
• When H2SO4 is added to solution, the concentration of sulphate ion will increase. The
solution will turn back into original colour (blue solution) from dark blue solution.
Part C
1. State whether the concentration of each of the following substance was increased,
decreased, or unaffected when the conc. hydrochloric acid was added to the
cobalt chloride solution.
Co(H2O)62+ - unaffected
Cl- - increased
CoCl2 - increased
2. Explain why heating and cooling the mixture caused the equilibrium to shift?
• This means that when heat is added, that is the solution is being heated, the
equilibrium will shift in the direction of the products. When the solution is being
cooled, heat is being removed from the equilibrium, which means that a shift towards
to the reactants will take place.
Discussion
In part A, iron (iii) chloride, FeCl3 is tested with potassium thiocyanate, KSCN. The red
solution turns into dark red solution after adding FeCl3 in test tube 2. Forward reaction is
favoured because the concentration of Fe3+ is increased. Equilibrium reaction moves to the
right to reduce the added Fe3+.When KSCN is added to the solution in test tube 3, the solution
changes its colour into dark red. Forward reaction is happening to increase the products,
thiocyanate ion, SCN-. Reaction moves forward (moves to the right) to re-establish the
equilibrium.
In the test tube 4, when silver nitrate, AgNO3 is added to the solution, white precipitate is
formed while the red colour faded. It forms precipitate between the silver and thiocyanate ion
(complex). Colour faded, the reaction moved backwards to the left to decrease SCN-. When
KSCN is added, white precipitate is formed and colour faded but when FeCl3 is added, white
precipitate is formed and the colour intense due to the increasing concentration of Fe3+. It
forms complex with Cl-. Equilibrium direction moves to the right to reduce the added Fe3+ so
the colour intense.
Fe3+ (aq) + SCN- (aq) ⇌ Fe(SCN)2+ (aq)
In part B, copper (ii) sulphate, CuSO4 is tested with ammonia, NH4OH. The blue solution of
CuSO4 changes its colour to pale blue after the addition of NH4OH. The pale blue precipitate
turns into a dark blue coloured solution on the addition of excess ammonia solution. Forward
reaction is happening to increase the products. Reaction moves forward (moves to the right)
to re-establish the equilibrium. On the addition of sulphuric acid, H2SO, the dark blue
solution changes its colour back to original colour (blue). The concentration of sulphate ion
will increase, so the reverse reaction occurs. The reaction moves to the left to re-establish the
equilibrium.
Cu2+ (aq) + 2OH- (aq) ⇌ Cu(OH)2 (aq)
Part C is to test the cobalt (ii) chloride, CoCl2 solution. In test tube 1, the pink solution of
CoCl2 turns into blue colour in boiling water. At this temperature, cobalt cations, Co2+
combine with chloride anions, Cl- present in the solution to give (CoCl4)2- complex ions.
When heat is added, that is the solution is being heated, the equilibrium will shift in the
direction of the products. It changes its colour back to original colour (pink solution) after
cooling. At low temperature, the reverse reaction occurs. This is a reversible reaction. When
the solution is being cooled, heat is being removed from the equilibrium, which means that a
shift towards to the reactants will take place.
In test tube 2, the pink solution turns into blue colour after adding concentrated hydrochloric
acid, HCl. Equilibrium in CoCl2 solution is shifted by adding HCl. When hydrochloric acid is
added, the added chloride ions shift the equilibrium position in favour of blue (CoCl4)2- ions
and water. As more chloride ions are added, formation of the (CoCl4)2- ions is favoured, as
this changes the concentration of chloride ions in solution. When water is added, the
equilibrium will shift back towards the reactant. The solution will change its colour back to
pink colour. In test tube 3, the pink solution turns into reddish pink solution after adding solid
ammonium chloride, NH4Cl. NH4Cl dissociated into its ion, NH4+ and Cl-. It favours the
formation of the blue complex. The reaction shift toward the blue side, making a lot more
Co2+ complex with chloride ion. It changes its colour to blue in boiling water due to the
equilibrium shift of direction and changes back to its original colour (reddish pink) after
cooling due to the reversible reaction.
[Co(H2O)6]2+ (aq) + 4Cl- ⇌ (CoCl4)2- (aq) + 6H2O
In part D, the pink ammonia solution turns into light pink after adding solid ammonium
chloride, NH4Cl in test tube 2. The reaction moves backward and the production of OH- will
be less and the concentration of hydrogen ion, H+ increases. The equilibrium moves toward
reactant (to the left). In test tube 3, the pink solution become colourless and produce white
fume. This is a highly exothermic reaction, it releases heat. The equilibrium will shift in the
direction of the reactants (to the left). This is a reverse reaction.
NH3 (aq) + H+ ⇌ NH4+
Part E is to test potassium chromate, K₂CrO₄ solution. The yellow solution of K₂CrO₄
changes its colour into orange colour after adding HCl in test tube 2. Solution turns orange
indicates that the reaction has shifted in the reverse direction from the chromate to
dichromate. The HCl provides a source of hydrogen ion, H+. The reaction shifts in the reverse
reaction to try and use up the H+ that have been added. In test tube 3, after added sodium
hydroxide, NaOH, solution turns yellow indicates that the equilibrium has shifted from the
dichromate to chromate. The NaOH removes H+ from the solution causing the reaction to
shift in the forward direction.
(Cr2O7)2- (aq) + H2O (l) ⇌ 2(CrO4)2- (aq) + 2H+
Conclusion
There are a few factors that affecting the equilibrium system. One of factors is concentration.
Higher concentration will favour forward reaction. Thus, the equilibrium will shift to the
right. Lower concentration will favour reverse reaction. The equilibrium will shift to the left.
The other factor is temperature. Higher temperature will favour forward reaction. Thus, the
equilibrium will shift to the right. Lower temperature will favour reverse reaction. The
equilibrium will shift to the left.
References
• Equilibrium. (2019, August 7). https://chem.libretexts.org/@go/page/96796
• Shifting Equilibria - Le Chatelier’s Principle. (2022, September 24).
https://chem.libretexts.org/@go/page/64089