General Chemistry Principles, Patterns, and Applications, 2011

The
equilibrium constant for this reaction as written is 3 × 10 4 . Are the products or the
reactants favored? Write an equilibrium expression for this reaction. How could you drive
this reaction to completion?
6. Hydrogen cyanide is commercially produced in the United States by the following reaction
: CH 4 g
( ) + NH 3( g) + 32O2( g) HCN ( g) + 3H2O g
( ), where HCN is continuously removed
from the system. This reaction is carried out at approximately 1100°C in the presence of a catalyst; however,
the high temperature causes other reactions to occur. Why is it necessary to run this reaction at such an
elevated temperature? Does the presence of the catalyst affect the equilibrium position?
7. ♦ Hemoglobin transports oxygen from the lungs to the capillaries and consists of four subunits, each capable
of binding a single molecule of O 2 . In the lungs, PO2 is relatively high (100 mmHg), so
hemoglobin becomes nearly saturated with O 2
.
In the tissues, however, PO2 is relatively low (40
8. mmHg), so hemoglobin releases about half of its bound oxygen. Myoglobin, a protein in muscle,
resembles a single subunit of hemoglobin. The plots show
the percent O 2
saturation versus PO2 for
9. hemoglobin and myoglobin. Based on these plots, which molecule has the higher affinity for oxygen? What
advantage does hemoglobin have over myoglobin as the oxygen transporter? Why is it advantageous to have
myoglobin in muscle tissue? Use equilibrium to explain why it is more difficult to exercise at high altitudes
where the partial pressure of oxygen is lower.
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