Chemical Equilibrium MCQs set 2 for NTS NAT-IM (Medical / Pre-Medical Track) Chemistry — 20 solved questions.
Q1. A chemist observes a reaction where products never reach 100% yield despite infinite time. This behavior distinguishes it from an irreversible reaction because:
Answer: Dynamic equilibrium is established
Explanation: Dynamic equilibrium involves ongoing forward and reverse reactions at equal rates, unlike static equilibrium where all motion ceases entirely.
Q2. In the synthesis of ammonia (N2 + 3H2 ⇌ 2NH3), the relationship between Kp and Kc differs from the H2 + I2 ⇌ 2HI reaction because:
Answer: Kp equals Kc only if the change in gaseous moles is zero
Explanation: Kp equals Kc only when the number of moles of gaseous reactants and products are equal; otherwise, units differ significantly.
Q3. During the industrial production of SO3, a technician calculates that the reaction quotient (Qc) is 1.5 while Kc is 2.5. This indicates that:
Answer: The reaction proceeds in the forward direction
Explanation: When Qc is less than Kc, the system must produce more products to reach equilibrium, unlike Qc > Kc which shifts backward.
Q4. A student compares the effect of heating on the Haber process (exothermic) and the formation of NO (endothermic). The equilibrium constant Kc behaves differently because:
Answer: Kc decreases for exothermic and increases for endothermic reactions
Explanation: For exothermic reactions, increasing temperature decreases Kc; for endothermic reactions, Kc increases with temperature, showing opposite thermodynamic dependencies.
Q5. The decomposition of calcium carbonate (CaCO3 ⇌ CaO + CO2) is a heterogeneous equilibrium. This differs from the homogeneous N2O4 ⇌ 2NO2 system because:
Answer: Pure solids like CaCO3 are omitted from the Kc expression
Explanation: In heterogeneous equilibria, the concentration of pure solids is taken as unity, unlike homogeneous systems where all species appear in Kc.
Q6. Increasing the pressure of a reaction vessel shifts the equilibrium of N2 + 3H2 ⇌ 2NH3 but has no effect on H2 + I2 ⇌ 2HI because:
Answer: The HI reaction involves no change in the number of gaseous moles
Explanation: Pressure shifts equilibrium toward the side with fewer moles; reactions with equal moles on both sides remain unaffected by pressure changes.
Q7. A researcher compares two acetate buffers: one with [Salt]/[Acid] = 1 and another with [Salt]/[Acid] = 10. The first solution is superior because:
Answer: Maximum buffer capacity is achieved
Explanation: Buffer capacity is highest when [Salt] equals [Acid], providing maximum resistance to pH change, whereas buffer range is the pH interval.
Q8. When mixing AgNO3 and NaCl, a white precipitate forms only if the ionic product (Qsp) exceeds the Ksp. This contrast is used to determine:
Answer: The solution is supersaturated and precipitate forms
Explanation: Precipitation only occurs when the ionic product exceeds Ksp; if it is lower, the solution remains unsaturated and clear.
Q9. Comparing 0.1 M HCl and 0.1 M CH3COOH, the HCl solution has a much lower pH. This difference in acidity is because:
Answer: HCl ionizes completely while acetic acid ionizes partially
Explanation: Strong acids like HCl ionize completely (100%), whereas weak acids like CH3COOH only partially ionize in aqueous solutions.
Q10. In a comparison of a weak acid and its conjugate base, the relationship between Ka and Kb is defined by which constant fact?
Answer: The product of Ka and Kb equals the ionic product of water
Explanation: The product of Ka and its conjugate base's Kb always equals Kw (10^-14), showing an inverse relationship between their strengths.
Q11. An acidic buffer consists of CH3COOH and CH3COONa. In contrast, a basic buffer like NH4OH/NH4Cl must contain:
Answer: A weak base and its salt with a strong acid
Explanation: Acidic buffers use weak acids and their salts, while basic buffers require a weak base and its salt for pH stabilization.
Q12. In the industrial Contact Process, V2O5 is used. Unlike a change in temperature, the addition of this catalyst ensures that:
Answer: The catalyst only decreases the time to reach equilibrium
Explanation: A catalyst increases the rate of reaching equilibrium but does not change the Kc value, which is solely temperature-dependent.
Q13. A student compares the addition of NaCl to CH3COOH (common ion effect) and the dissolution of Na2CO3 in water (hydrolysis). These differ because:
Answer: Common ion effect suppresses ionization while hydrolysis involves water reaction
Explanation: Common ion effect suppresses ionization of weak electrolytes, while salt hydrolysis involves ions reacting with water to change the pH.
Q14. When comparing the physiological pH of human blood and gastric juice, the primary difference is that:
Answer: Blood is slightly basic while gastric juice is highly acidic
Explanation: Human blood is slightly basic (pH 7.35-7.4) and highly buffered, whereas gastric juice is highly acidic (pH 1-2) for digestion.
Q15. The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation for an acidic buffer differs from that of a basic buffer because the basic version:
Answer: Basic buffers use pKb to calculate pOH first
Explanation: The Henderson equation for acidic buffers uses pKa and [Salt]/[Acid], whereas the basic version uses pOH, pKb, and [Salt]/[Base].
Q16. If a saturated solution of AgCl is prepared in 0.1 M NaCl instead of pure water, the solubility of AgCl changes because:
Answer: Solubility decreases due to the common ion effect
Explanation: The presence of Cl- ions from NaCl shifts the AgCl equilibrium to the left, reducing its solubility compared to pure water.
Q17. In a gaseous equilibrium like PCl5 ⇌ PCl3 + Cl2, reducing the volume of the container at constant temperature differs from adding an inert gas because:
Answer: The concentration of all gaseous species initially increases
Explanation: Reducing volume increases the concentration of all species; the system shifts to the side with fewer moles to relieve the pressure.
Q18. The equilibrium constant Kc for the reaction PCl5 ⇌ PCl3 + Cl2 has specific units. These units differ from the H2 + I2 ⇌ 2HI reaction because:
Answer: The units are mol/dm^3
Explanation: Units of Kc depend on the difference in moles (Δn); for PCl5 dissociation, Δn is 1, resulting in mol/dm3, unlike Δn=0 reactions.
Q19. In the titration of CH3COOH with NaOH, phenolphthalein is a better indicator than methyl orange. This is because:
Answer: The equivalence point pH is greater than 7
Explanation: Phenolphthalein changes color in the basic range (8.3-10), making it suitable for weak acid-strong base titrations where the equivalence point is basic.
Q20. A student measures the ionic product of water (Kw) at 25°C and 100°C. The value at 100°C is different because:
Answer: Kw increases as temperature increases
Explanation: The auto-ionization of water is endothermic, so Kw increases from 10^-14 at 25°C to approximately 10^-12 at 100°C.