Chemical Reaction Engineering Questions and Answers Part-16

1. The desired relationship between the partial pressure of reactant and total pressure for the reaction N2O4 → 2NO2 is _____
a) PA = PA0 – 2(P – P0)
b) PA = 2PA0 – (P – P0)
c) PA = PA0 – (P – P0)
d) PA = PA0 + (P – P0)

Answer: c
Explanation: ∆n = 2-1 =1. pA = pA0 – \(\frac{a}{∆n}\) (P – P0), a is the stoichiometry of the reactant. Hence, PA = PA0 – (P – P0).

2. If the total pressure for reaction is initially is 2 atm and the pressure is changed to 3 atm for the reaction to occur, then the value of (PA – PA0) for the reaction N2O → N2 + 0.5O2 is ____
a) -2
b) 2
c) -1
d) 1

Answer: a
Explanation: ∆n = 0.5
pA = pA0 – \(\frac{a}{∆n}\) (P – P0)
(PA = PA0) = \(\frac{-1}{0.5}\)(3-2)
(PA = PA0) = -2.

3. State true or false.
A variable volume reactor is the one in which the reaction proceeds by a change in number of moles at a given pressure and temperature.
a) true
b) false

Answer: a
Explanation: The pressure is held constant as the volume varies. The variable volume systems are also termed as constant pressure systems.

4. The fractional change in volume of a system for variable volume systems, expressed in terms of the number of moles is ____
a) ε = \(\frac{Change \, in \, number \, of \, moles \, of \, the \, reaction \, system \, when \, the \, reaction \, is \, complete}{Total \, number \, of \, moles \, fed} \)
b) ε = \(\frac{Total \, number \, of \, moles \, fed}{Change \, in \, number \, of \, moles \, of \, the \, reaction \, system \, when \, the \, reaction \, is \, complete} \)
c) ε = \(\frac{Number \, of \, moles \, left \, when \, the \, reaction \, is \, complete}{Total \, number \, of \, moles \, fed} \)
d) ε = \(\frac{Total \, number \, of \, moles \, fed}{Number \, of \, moles \, left \, when \, the \, reaction \, is \, complete} \)

Answer: a
Explanation: ε is the fractional change in volume of the reaction system between no conversion and complete conversion of the reactant. It is the ratio of the change in moles of the reaction mixture to achieve complete conversion to the number of moles fed initially.

5. For the reaction A → 4R, the value of εA is ____
a) -3
b) 3
c) 4
d) 2

Answer: b
Explanation: εA = \(\frac{V_{X_{A=1}} – V_{X_{A=0}}}{V_{X_{A=0}}} \)
εA = \(\frac{4 – 1}{1}\) = 3.

6. Final concentration of the reactant A in terms of conversion, for a variable volume batch reactor is ____
a) CA = \(\frac{C_{A0}(1+ X_A)}{(1+ ε_A X_A)} \)
b) CA = \(\frac{C_{A0}(1 – X_A)}{(1- ε_A X_A)} \)
c) CA = \(\frac{C_{A0}(1 – X_A)}{(1+ ε_A X_A)} \)
d) CA = \(\frac{C_{A0}(1 – X_A)}{(ε_A X_A)} \)

Answer: c
Explanation: CA = CA0 (1 – XA), for a constant volume reactor. The initial number of moles for a variable volume reactor, NA = NA0(1 – XA). Volume, V = V0(1 + εA XA). CA = \(\frac{N_A}{V}\) = \(\frac{C_{A0}(1 – X_A)}{(1+ ε_A X_A)}.\)

7. For the reaction A → 2R containing 50% moles initially, the value of εA is ____
a) 1
b) 0.75
c) 0.5
d) 0.9

Answer: c
Explanation: Initially, there are 50 moles of inerts and 50 moles of A, 100 moles in total. On complete conversion, A forms (50×2) 100 moles of product, R. 1 mole reactant forms 2 moles of product. As the inerts do not get converted during the reaction, there are 150 moles in total at the end of the reaction. Hence, εA = \(\frac{150-100}{100}\) = 0.5

8. The relationship between conversion and concentration for isothermal varying volume systems is ____
a) XA = \(\frac{{1-\frac{C_A}{C_{A0}}}}{1+(ε_A \frac{C_A}{C_{A0}})} \)
b) XA = \(\frac{{1-\frac{C_A}{C_{A0}}}}{1-(ε_A \frac{C_A}{C_{A0}})} \)
c) XA = \(\frac{{1+\frac{C_A}{C_{A0}}}}{1+(ε_A \frac{C_A}{C_{A0}})} \)
d) XA = \(\frac{{1+\frac{C_A}{C_{A0}}}}{1-(ε_A \frac{C_A}{C_{A0}})} \)

Answer: a
Explanation: \(\frac{C_A}{C_{A0}} = \frac{(1 – X_A)}{(1+ ε_A X_A)} \)
XA = 1 – \(\frac{C_A}{C_{A0}}\). XA = \(\frac{{1-\frac{C_A}{C_{A0}}}}{1+(ε_A \frac{C_A}{C_{A0}})}. \)

9. The relation between rate and time for a zero order reaction in a variable volume reactor is expressed as ____
a) \(\frac{C_{A0}}{ε_A}ln(\frac{V}{V_0})\) = t
b) \(\frac{1}{ε_A} ln(\frac{V}{V_0})\) = kt
c) \(\frac{C_{A0}}{ε_A} ln(\frac{V}{V_0})\) = kt
d) \(\frac{C_{A0}}{ε_A} ln(\frac{V}{CC_A})\) = kt

Answer: c
Explanation: For a zero order reaction in a variable volume reactor, -rA = \(\frac{C_{A0}}{ε_A}ln(\frac{d( lnV)}{dt})\) = k. Hence, \(\frac{C_{A0}}{ε_A} ln(\frac{V}{V_0})\) = kt.

10. State true or false.
For negative values of εA, there is a reduction in volume of the reaction mixture as the reaction proceeds.
a) true
b) false

Answer: a
Explanation: Negative value of εA implies that the initial volume is greater than the volume at complete conversion. The number of moles of the reactant is greater than the number of moles of product.