Question

Industrially, ammonia is obtained by direct combination of nitrogen and hydrogen.
(i) Write balanced equation for the direct combination of nitrogen and hydrogen.
(ii) Which of the metals - iron, platinum, copper - catalyse this direct combination?
(iii) Is the formation of ammonia promoted by high pressure or low pressure?

Answer 1

(i) The reactants nitrogen and hydrogen combine to form ammonia at low temperature, high pressure in presence of catalyst to for maximum yield of ammonia . The balanced equation for the reaction is:

\[\ce{N2 + 3H2 <=> 2NH3 +heat}\]

(ii ) Iron acts as catalyst.
(iii ) Since the forward reaction occurs with decrease in volume, according to Le Chatelier's principle, high pressure favours the formation of ammonia.
Key: Haber's process