Calculating Kc and Heterogeneous Equilibria
This section delves deeper into the process of calculating Kc and introduces the concept of heterogeneous equilibria.
To calculate Kc:
- Write the balanced equation
- Determine initial amounts of reactants and products
- Identify given equilibrium amounts
- Calculate other equilibrium amounts using stoichiometry
- Substitute values into the Kc expression
Example: For the reaction 2NOCl ⇌ 2NO + Cl₂ Given: 1.00 mol NOCl in 0.50 dm³ flask, 0.33 mol NO at equilibrium Kc = [NO]² [Cl₂] / [NOCl]² = 0.0800 mol dm⁻³
Heterogeneous equilibria involve substances in different phases. In these systems, solids and pure liquids are not included in the Kc expression as their concentrations remain effectively constant.
Highlight: For heterogeneous equilibria, only include gases and aqueous species in the Kc expression.
Example: For CaCO₃ ⇌ CaO + CO₂, Kc = [CO₂]
This simplification is due to the constant density of solids and pure liquids, which makes their concentrations invariant in the equilibrium expression.































