Consider the water-gas shift reaction: , where . Which of the following correctly describes the effect of increasing the total pressure of the system by halving its volume?

Question

Consider the water-gas shift reaction: $C(s) + H_2O(g) \rightleftharpoons CO(g) + H_2(g)$, where $\Delta H > 0$. Which of the following correctly describes the effect of increasing the total pressure of the system by halving its volume?

Prashant Kotian · Accepted Answer

Correct answer: B. For this reaction, the number of gaseous reactant moles is 1 () and gaseous product moles is 2 (). Thus, . Increasing the pressure by halving the volume causes the system to shift towards the side with fewer gaseous moles to reduce pressure. Therefore, the equilibrium shifts in the reverse (backward) direction.

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