This problem is a beautiful intersection of Chemical Thermodynamics and Chemical Equilibrium. It tests your ability to bridge the macroscopic energy changes of a reaction with the microscopic distribution of molecules at equilibrium. Let's break down the journey step-by-step.
The Thermodynamic Bridge
We are given a simple gaseous reaction: A(g)⇌B(g) occurring in a closed container at a constant temperature of 495 K. The key piece of information provided is the standard Gibbs free energy change, ΔrG∘=−9.478 kJ mol−1.
How does this energy value help us find the amounts of gases? The bridge between thermodynamics and equilibrium is the master equation:
This equation tells us that the standard free energy change dictates the position of equilibrium. A negative ΔrG∘ implies that the forward reaction is thermodynamically favorable, meaning we expect the equilibrium constant K to be greater than 1.
Decoding the Math
Let's substitute our known values into the master equation. Crucially, we must ensure unit consistency. Since the universal gas constant R is given in J mol−1 K−1, we must convert ΔrG∘ from kilojoules to joules by multiplying by 1000.
−9.478×103=−2.303×8.314×495×log10K
Isolating log10K, the negative signs on both sides cancel out:
log10K=2.303×8.314×4959478
At first glance, the denominator looks like a nightmare to calculate without a calculator. However, in JEE problems, the numbers are often meticulously crafted. If you estimate or carefully multiply the denominator, you will find that 2.303×8.314×495≈9478.
This beautiful cancellation simplifies our fraction to exactly 1:
The ICE Table
Now that we have our equilibrium constant K=10, we can determine the actual composition of the mixture. We set up an ICE (Initial, Change, Equilibrium) table. We start with 22 mmol of A and 0 mmol of B.
Let x be the number of millimoles of A that react to reach equilibrium. Because the stoichiometry is 1:1, exactly x millimoles of B will be produced.
Initial: nA=22, nB=0
Change: ΔnA=−x, ΔnB=+x
Equilibrium:* nA=22−x, nB=x
The equilibrium constant K is defined as the ratio of the concentrations of the products to the reactants. Since both gases share the same container volume V, the volume terms cancel out perfectly:
K=[A][B]=nA/VnB/V=nAnB
The Final Calculation
Substituting our equilibrium expressions into the K equation gives us a simple linear equation:
Cross-multiplying to solve for x:
Since x represents the number of millimoles of B at equilibrium, we have our final answer. The equilibrium mixture contains exactly 20 millimoles of gas B.