INTRODUCTION: A state of chemical equilibrium exists when the rate of the forward reaction is equal to the rate of the

reverse reaction. Once equilibrium has established itself, the amounts of products and reactants are constant. Furthermore, if one of the product or reactant concentrations can be measured, it can be used to determine the remaining concentrations and the equilibrium constant. A chemical reaction of the sort expressed by the following chemical equation aA + bB cC + dD actually consists of two competing processes: the forward reaction, that is the formation of the products, C and D, from the reactants, and the reverse reaction, which is the formation of the reactants, A and B, from the products. A state of chemical equilibrium exists when the rate of the forward reaction is equal to the rate of the reverse reaction. Once equilibrium has established itself, the amounts of products and reactants are constant. Furthermore, if one of the product or reactant concentrations can be measured, it can be used to determine the remaining concentrations and the equilibrium constant. The determining of equilibrium constant, Kc, for the chemical reaction Fe3+(aq) + SCN-(aq) FeSCN2+(aq) by measuring the concentration of FeSCN2+ at equilibrium using a colorimeter. The equilibrium constant expression for this reaction is Kc = Kc is the equilibrium constant. The brackets signify the concentrations of the various species, and the lower case letters represent the number of moles of each substance involved in the balanced equation. The equilibrium constant is dependent on temperature. Also, reactants and products that appear as pure solids or pure liquids in the chemical equation (as opposed to species in solution) do not appear in the equilibrium constant expression. The magnitude of the value of Kc is a measure of the extent to which reaction occurs. If Kc > 10 = equilibrium favours products If Kc < 0.1= equilibrium favours reactants If Kc is very high, then the reactions are complete If Kc is very low, then the reactions are hardly takes place

OBJECTIVE: To determine the equilibrium constant, Kc of several mixtures of Fe3+ and SCN- made up in different ways to see whether the equilibrium of these reaction are more favour the reactant or product or is predominate between the reactant and product these reactions are complete reaction.

MATERIALS: 2.00 x 10-3 M Fe(NO3)3 solution, 2.00 x 10-3 M KSCN solution, burette stand, 50ml burette, 100ml volumetric flask, test tubes, stirring rod, cuvette, spectrophotometer

METHODS: 1. Five regular clean, dry test tube is labeled 1 to 5 and placed in a test tube rack. 2. A pipette is used to deliver the appropriate amount of each reactant in to a 10.00ml volumetric flask. 3. Enough distilled water is then added into the flask to bring the solution volume to the 10.00ml mark. 4. This mixture is transferred to the appropriate labeled test tube. The volumetric was rinse with distilled water and the remaining mixture is prepared in similar fashion. 5. Mixture 5 was prepare by adding the Fe(NO3)3and KSCN directly to the test tube without using the volumetric flask. 1 2 3 4 5 Volume Fe(NO3)3solution (ml) 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 Volume KSCN solution (ml) 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 Volume H2O 4.00 3.00 2.00 1.00 0.00 6. Each solution was mix thoroughly with a glass stirring rod. The stirring rod is dried after mixing each solution. 7. The spectrophotometer is calibrated at 447nm for 0% and 100% transmittance. 8. A portion of the mixture from tube 1 was placed in a cuvette and the absorbance of the solution is measured at 447nm. 9. The measurement is repeated using the mixture in each of the other test tubes. 10. All the value obtained is recorded.

RESULTS: A = k[FeSCN2+] A = absorbance k = rate constant = 5.00 x 103 M-1 [FeSCN2+] = equilibrium concentration of FeSCN2+ ions

[FeSCN2+] of: Mixture 1 = A/k = 0.425/ 5.00 x 103 = 8.500 x 10-5 M Mixture 2 = A/k = 0.682/ 5.00 x 103 = 1.364 x 10-4 M Mixture 3 = A/k = 0.966/ 5.00 x 103 = 1.932 x 10-4 M Mixture 4 = A/k = 1.088/ 5.00 x 103 = 2.176 x 10-4 M Mixture 5 = A/k = 1.257/ 5.00 x 103 = 2.514 x 10-4 M

Mixture

1 2 3 4 5

Volume of -3 2.00 x 10 M Fe(NO3)3 (in ml) 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00

Volume of 2.00 x 10-3 MKSCN (in ml) 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00

Volume Absorbance of H2O (in ml) 4.00 3.00 2.00 1.00 0.00 0.425 0.682 0.966 1.088 1.257

[FeSCN2+]

8.500 x 10-5 1.364 x 10-4 1.932 x 10-4 2.176 x 10-4 2.514 x 10-4

Number of moles before diluted = Number of moles after diluted M1V1 = M2V2 M1 = concentration before diluted M2 = concentration after diluted V1 = volume of solution before diluted V2 = volume ofsolution after diluted

Initial concentration of Fe3+ ions AFTER MIXING in: Mixture 1 = (0.002)(5)/10 = 0.001M Mixture 2 = (0.002)(5)/10 = 0.001M Mixture 3 = (0.002)(5)/10 = 0.001M Mixture 4 = (0.002)(5)/10 = 0.001M Mixture 5 = (0.002)(5)/10 = 0.001M

Initial concentration of SCN- ions AFTER MIXING in: Mixture 1 = (0.002)(1)/10 = 0.0002M Mixture 2 = (0.002)(2)/10 = 0.0004M Mixture 3 = (0.002)(3)/10 = 0.0006M Mixture 4 = (0.002)(4)/10 = 0.0008M Mixture 5 = (0.002)(5)/10 = 0.0010M

Equilibrium concentration of Fe3+ ions = Initial concentration of Fe3+ ions AFTER MIXING - Equilibrium concentration of FeSCN2+ ions

Equilibrium concentration of SCN- ions = Initial concentration of SCN-ions AFTER MIXING - Equilibrium concentration of SCN-ions

Equilibrium concentration of Fe3+ ions in: Mixture 1 = 0.001 8.500x10-5 = 9.150x10-4M

Mixture 2 = 0.001 1.364x10-4 = 8.636x10-4M Mixture 3 = 0.001 1.932x10-4 = 8.068x10-4M Mixture 4 = 0.001 2.176x10-4 = 7.824x10-4M Mixture 5 = 0.001 2.514x10-4 = 7.486x10-4M

Equilibrium concentration of SCN- ions in: Mixture 1 = 0.0002 8.500x10-5 = 1.150x10-4M Mixture 2 = 0.0004 1.364x10-4 = 2.636x10-4M Mixture 3 = 0.0006 1.932x10-4 = 4.068x10-4M Mixture 4 = 0.0008 2.176x10-4 = 5.824x10-4M Mixture 5 = 0.0010 2.514x10-4 = 7.486x10-4M Equilibrium constant, Kc = Kcfor : Mixture 1 = = 807.79

Mixture 2 =

= 599.18

Mixture 3 =

= 340.69

Mixture 4 =

= 477.54

Mixture 5 =

= 448.61

Average Kc = [807.79 + 599.18 + 340.69 + 477.54 + 448.61]/5 = 534.76 Mixture Initial concentrations (M) AFTER MIXING [Fe3+] 1 2 3 4 5 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 0.001 Average Kc= 534.76 [SCN-] 0.0002 0.0004 0.0006 0.0008 0.0010 [Fe3+] 9.150 x 10-4 8.636 x 10-4 8.068 x 10-4 7.824 x 10-4 7.486 x 10-4 [SCN-] 1.150 x 10-4 2.636 x 10-4 4.068 x 10-4 5.824 x 10-4 7.486 x 10-4 [FeSCN2+] 8.500 x 10-5 1.364 x 10-4 1.932 x 10-4 2.176 x 10-4 2.514 x 10-4 807.79 599.18 340.69 477.54 448.61 Equilibrium Concentrations (M) Kc(M-1)

DISCUSSION: In aqueous solution, iron(III) ions, Fe3+, react with thiocyanate ions, SCN-, to form the thiocyanatoiron(III) complex ion, Fe(SCN)2+. The reaction can be represented by the net ionic equilibrium equation Fe3+ (aq) + SCN -(aq) Fe(SCN)2+ (aq) and the associated equilibrium constant expression is: Kc = The equilibrium constant is a quantity which characterizes the equilibrium in a reaction and is based on the final concentrations. It should be consistent because this constant is defined to be the relation between all concentrations of involved compounds at chemical equilibrium. A spectrophotometer is a device that measures

the amount of light that can pass through a given substance. In this experiment, we used it to determine the percent absorbance for each solution. The reference solutions were obtained by mixing a known amount of SCN in an excess of Fe3+ so that we could assume that the reaction went to completion and we would have a known amount of FeSCN2+. We can then find the absorbance of the reference solutions to create a function that relates concentration to absorbance which can then be applied to the unknown concentrations with the measured absorbance to calculate the unknown concentration. The spectrophotometer should not be set to the same color as that of the solution because the visible color is that which is transmitted which mean none is absorbed. Another colors absorbance, such as the complement of the solutions color. In this experiment, 450nm light was used, which corresponds to blue. Since the complex ion is red, this blue light will be absorbed and can then be measured. By utilizing the concentrations of the Fe(NO3)3 and KSCN stock solutions, the volumes of each solutions used, and the total volume of each sample, the initial concentrations of Fe3+ and SCN- ions for each sample is calculate using the equation M1V1 = M2V2. The reactants equilibrium concentrations are calculated by using the following equation: Equilibrium concentration of reactant ions = Initial concentration of reactant ions AFTER MIXING - Equilibrium concentration of product ions The average equilibrium constant Kc obtained from the result by using the associated equilibrium constant expression is very high which meaning that these reactions is a complete reaction and there is no equilibrium. Besides that, outside of the cuvette shall always wipe with a tissue or soft cloth to remove dirt or fingerprints that may affect the reading before inserting the cuvette into the sample compartment.

CONCLUSION: The equilibrium constant, Kc of these mixtures of Fe3+ and SCN- are very high, so these reactions are complete reaction.

QUESTIONS: 1. A student mixes 5.00ml of 2.00 x 10-3 M Fe(NO3)3 with 5.00 of 2.00 x 10-3 M KSCN. She finds that in the equilibrium mixture, the concentration of FeSCN 2+ is 1.40 x 10-4 M. Find Kc for Fe3+(aq) + SCN-(aq) FeSCN2+(aq). Step 1. Calculate the new, diluted concentraitons of the Fe3+ and SCN- ions. Number of moles before diluted = Number of moles after diluted M1V1 = M2V2 Diluted concentration of Fe3+ ions =
[ ]

= = 0.001M

Diluted concentration of SCN- ions =

= = 0.001M [Fe3+] = 0.001M [SCN-] = 0.001M

Step 2. Use the initial concentration of the Fe3+ and SCN-ions along with the equilibrium concentration of the FeSCN2+ ions and the reaction stoichiometry to determine the equilibrium concentrations of Fe3+ and SCN-. Initial Equilibrium [Fe3+] = 8.6 x 10-4M [Fe3+] [SCN-] [FeSCN2+] 0.001M 0.001M 1.40 x 10-4M -1.40 x 10-4M -1.40 x 10-4M 0.00M -4 -4 8.6 x 10 M 8.6 x 10 M 1.40 x 10-4M -4 2+ [SCN ] = 8.6 x 10 M [FeSCN ] = 1.40 x 10-4M

Step 3. What is the value of Kc for the reaction? Equilibrium constant, Kc =

= = 189.29M-1 REFERENCE: http://books.google.com.my/books?id=RaLpDwmEpF0C&pg=PA181&lpg=PA181 &dq#v=onepage&q&f=false http://web.stcloudstate.edu/drneu/Equilibrium%20Constant.pdf http://www.tarleton.edu/Faculty/alow/1084exp1.htm