Question

Consider the reaction below. COCl2(g)® CO(g) + Cl2(g) What is the most likely effect to the reaction if there is an increase in pressure on this reaction? The reactant surface area increases. The reaction rate decreases. The reaction is not affected at all. The reaction stops completely.

What’s the answer

Answer 1

Answer: the reaction rate decreases

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

The answer is; The reaction rate decreases

This is because the reaction produces more moles of gas in the products (one mole of CO and another of CL2) compared to the one mole of the reactants (COCL2). This therefore means that increasing pressure causes the reaction to shift (if it were a reversible reaction) to the left because the volume is decreases. The rate at which the molecules of the products collide is more than that of the reactants (because they are in the same container).