Question

Use complete sentences and show all relevant work. Appropriate use of significant figures and units is required to receive full credit.

1. Is the Haber process an exothermic or endothermic reaction?

2. Write a balanced thermochemical equation with phase labels for the Haber process with the heat energy as part of the equation.

3. What is the theoretical yield of ammonia(in grams) if 17.15 grams of nitrogen gas and 10.95 grams of hydrogen gas are allowed to react?

4. Based on your theoretical yield, what is the percent yield of ammonia if only 11.5 grams of ammonia is produced?

5. How much heat energy (in Kj) will be absorbed or released if 11.5 grams of ammonia is produced? State whether the energy will be absorbed or released.

6. Compare and contract the positive and negative effects that result from the use of the Haber process. Discuss the controversy that followed the awarding of the Noble Price in Chemistry to Haber. Based on this discussion, do you think Haber should have been awarded this prestigious award for his work? Explain

Answer 1

haber process is the reversible process used for the formation of ammonia. in this process, the hydrogen derived from natural gas like methane reacts with nitrogen from the air to give ammonia as the product.

This is one of the highly used industrial methods used for the production of ammonia.

This is an exothermic process in which about 100 KJ Mole^-1 of energy is released.

Chemical equation :

N₂ (g)+ 3H2 (g)   2 NH₃ H = -92 KJmol^-1

(3) ---->

for Theoretical Yield

Molar mass of Ammonia is 17g

moles of N₂ = 17.15 / 28

Theoretical yield as per to nitrogen is

0.6125*2*17 = 20.825 g

Theoretical yield as per to hydrogen

moles of Hydrogen 10.95/ 2 = 5.475

Yield --> 5.475 * 2 * 17 / 3 = 62.05 g

In this case, nitrogen is limiting the reaction so,

The theoretical yield for this reaction will be 20.825 g

(4)----.>

percent yield = (11.5 / 20.825 )* 100 % == 55.222% , which is high for Haber process.

(5)--->

The energy will be released

amount of energy released for 11.5 g of ammonia generation will be simply ( -92 * 0.55222) = 50.804 KJmol^-1

(6) ---->

The Haber process is very efficient and economical process for the industrial generation of ammonia and is the very widely used process.

haber was awarded the nobel prize for Haber process in 1918, but he was also indulged in creating poison gases which were used during world war 1. so, due to this the controversy regarding Nobel Prize to Fritz Haber. But it was later given in 1919 because of its uses in the generation of artificial fertilizers, and conversion to nitric acid through Oswald process and many more.