State which is greater in amount:reactants or products, based on the given equilibrium constant, K.

• A. a) products, b) products, c) reactants
• B. a) reactants, b) products, c) reactants
• C. a) products, b) reactants, c) equal
• D. a) reactants, b) products, c) equal

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the equilibrium constant, K, indicates the ratio of the concentration of products to reactants at equilibrium. A large K value (much greater than 1) suggests that products are favored, while a small K value (much less than 1) suggests that reactants are favored. A K value close to 1 indicates that neither reactants nor products are favored.
2. For reaction a) N2(g) + O2(g) ⇌ 2 NO(g) with K = 1.0 x 10^20, the very large K value suggests that the concentration of products (NO) is much greater than the concentration of reactants (N2 and O2) at equilibrium.
3. For reaction b) 2 CO(g) + O2(g) ⇌ 2 CO2(g) with K = 2.2 x 10^-22, the very small K value suggests that the concentration of reactants (CO and O2) is much greater than the concentration of products (CO2) at equilibrium.
4. For reaction c) 2 BrCl(g) ⇌ Br2(g) + Cl2(g) with K = 1, the K value of 1 indicates that the concentrations of reactants (BrCl) and products (Br2 and Cl2) are approximately equal at equilibrium.
5. Based on the analysis of the equilibrium constants, the correct answers are: a) products, b) reactants, c) equal.