High School

The reaction between ethylene and hydrogen bromide to form ethyl bromide is carried out in a continuous reactor. The product stream is analyzed and found to contain 51.7 mole% [tex]C_2H_5Br[/tex] and 12.3 mole% [tex]HBr[/tex]. What is the missing information to determine the remaining components?

A. Temperature
B. Pressure
C. Catalyst concentration
D. Reaction time

Answer :

Final answer:

To determine the remaining components in the product stream, the initial concentrations or total mass balance of the reaction are required. Temperature, pressure, and catalyst concentration do not directly provide the composition, and reaction time is not indicative of composition in a continuous reactor.

Explanation:

To determine the remaining components in the product stream from the reaction between ethylene and hydrogen bromide to form ethyl bromide, the missing information would likely be the initial concentrations or the total mass balance of the reaction. Temperature, pressure, and catalyst concentration are indeed important for the reaction conditions and kinetics but knowing the mole percentages of C₂H₅Br and HBr alone does not allow us to deduce the concentrations of other components without additional information. For completion and assessment of the reaction, knowledge of the initial amounts of reactants and the stoichiometry of the chemical equation would be necessary. Reaction time could affect the extent to which the reaction has proceeded, but for a continuous reactor operating at steady state, the reaction time does not directly inform us about the composition of the product stream.

In a balanced chemical reaction, knowing the stoichiometry and initial conditions allows for the calculation of remaining reactant concentrations and the identification of limiting reactants, which is critical for assessing the completeness of a reaction. In a scenario where a reaction reaches equilibrium, understanding the stoichiometry and the initial concentrations or pressures of the reactants and products would allow for the calculation of the equilibrium concentrations using the equilibrium constant expression.