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Please help me understand how to solve this: given: .02 M Cl2 initial; .10 M PCl

ID: 984945 • Letter: P

Question

Please help me understand how to solve this:

given: .02 M Cl2 initial; .10 M PCl5

PCl5 <---> PCl3 + Cl2

PCl5

PCl3

Cl2

I

.10

0

.02

C

-x

+x

+x

E

.1 – x

x

.02 + x

k= 5.0 x 10^(-2)

5.0 x 10^(-2) = (x) (.02 + x)/ (.1-x)

I dont know how to solve this equation but my professor got x^2+.070x - .005=0 and then were suppost to plug this into the quadratic formula getting x1 =.044m and x2= 0.114m.

I need help getting to the x^2+.070x - .005=0 part i don't know how to do the math... please show all steps!! thank you

PCl5

PCl3

Cl2

I

.10

0

.02

C

-x

+x

+x

E

.1 – x

x

.02 + x

Explanation / Answer

PCl5 <---> PCl3 + Cl2

K = Equilibrium concentration of products / Equilibrium concentration of reactants

From the given data,

K = [PCl3] [Cl2] / [PCl5]

5.0 x 10^(-2) = (x) (0.02 + x)/ (0.1-x)

0.05 = 0.02 x + x2 / (0.1-x)

(0.05 ) (0.1-x ) =  0.02 x + x2

0.005 - 0.05x =  0.02 x + x2

x2 + 0.02 x + 0.05 x - 0.005 = 0

x2 + 0.07 x - 0.005 = 0

On solving, we will get

x1 = 0.043 x2 = -0.114