General, Organic and Biochemistry - Assignment Example

Chemistry Assessment Name: Unit: Course: Professor: Submission Date: PART A - 300 words +/- 10% (20 marks) 1) Consider the following reaction at equilibrium (a) Explain what is meant by a reaction at equilibrium. (2 marks) Helleur (2012) reaction of oxygen with hemoglobin gives oxyhemoglobin as the product. The reaction is balanced forming an equilibrium reaction termed as dynamic equilibrium. This is so because there has been balanced established in respect to hemoglobin movement exhibiting feasible forward and backward reaction as above. (b) Which direction will equilibrium shift if the O2 concentration is increased? (1 mark) Within the lungs there is more oxygen. Increase in oxygen concentration shifts the equilibrium to the right so as to counteract the rising amount of oxygen via increase oxyhemoglobin production. (c) Which direction will equilibrium shift if the HbO2 concentration is increased? (1 mark) To the left. Oxygen decreases in concentration within the tissues. The equilibrium is re-established by a shift to the left with more oxyhemoglobin being decomposed to increase oxygen concentration. (d) In which direction will the equilibrium shift if the Hb concentration is decreased? (1 mark) When there is a decrease in hemoglobin (Hb) the equilibrium will shift such that Hb increase. Therefore, HbO2 will dissociate, to increase Hb, and the equilibrium will shift to the left. (e) Name and briefly explain the principle you applied in answering b) - d). (2 marks) Le Chatelier’s principle: According to Le Chatelier’s principle a disruption of a dynamic equilibrium by altering the conditions, the equilibrium position shifts in a way that it counteracts the current change by re-establishing a new equilibrium. For a chemical reaction, at equilibrium, when a change in reactants or products concentration, temperature or pressure arises, there is a shift in the equilibrium to the opposite direction to counterbalance the change. Therefore, change in an equilibrium system such that there is an increase in the reacting species concentration, the system favors the consumption side of the particular species. That means, increase in products, increases the reaction quotient Qc, rising it more than the constant of equilibrium, Kc. 2) Write the equilibrium constant expression for the reaction shown in question 1. (2 marks). Helleur, (2012) the law of mass action gives the existing relationship between a balanced chemical equation and the products and reactants concentrations; which is always products divided by reactants, where K is the equilibrium constant, with no unit. 3) Calculate the equilibrium constant using the following concentrations [Hb] = 2.27 x 10-8 M, [O2] = 9.5 x 10-2 M and [HbO2] = 6.93 x 10-1 M. Your answer should be presented to two decimal places in exponential notation. (2 marks) = = K= 6.93÷21.565= Exponential sum: -8+(-2)=-10; -1-(-10)=9 Answer: 0.3213540459 x109 =3.218 (Bettelheim, Brown, Campbell, Farell & Torres, 2012) 4) K values can be small, large or intermediate (close to 1). Explain what these values indicate in terms of the reaction, and reactants and products at equilibrium. (6 marks) When Kc>>1, the reaction favors products (reaction nearly complete). When Kc Read More

2) Write the equilibrium constant expression for the reaction shown in question 1. (2 marks). Helleur, (2012) the law of mass action gives the existing relationship between a balanced chemical equation and the products and reactants concentrations; which is always products divided by reactants, where K is the equilibrium constant, with no unit. 3) Calculate the equilibrium constant using the following concentrations [Hb] = 2.27 x 10-8 M, [O2] = 9.5 x 10-2 M and [HbO2] = 6.93 x 10-1 M. Your answer should be presented to two decimal places in exponential notation. (2 marks) = = K= 6.93÷21.565= Exponential sum: -8+(-2)=-10; -1-(-10)=9 Answer: 0.

3213540459 x109 =3.218 (Bettelheim, Brown, Campbell, Farell & Torres, 2012) 4) K values can be small, large or intermediate (close to 1). Explain what these values indicate in terms of the reaction, and reactants and products at equilibrium. (6 marks) When Kc>>1, the reaction favors products (reaction nearly complete). When Kc

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