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Chapter 14: Problem 87

At room temperature, solid iodine is in equilibrium with its vapor through sublimation and deposition (see Section 11.8). Describe how you would use radioactive iodine, in either solid or vapor form, to show that there is a dynamic equilibrium between these two phases.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Radioactive iodine, can be used as a tracer to demonstrate the dynamic equilibrium between the solid and vapor phases of iodine. In an experiment, start with the radioactive iodine in one phase (either solid or vapor) and over time, as equilibrium establishes, it should distribute evenly between the two phases. By monitoring the distribution of radioactive iodine, we can demonstrate the existence of dynamic equilibrium.

Step by step solution

01

Comprehend the Dynamic Equilibrium Principle

The first thing to do is to understand the concept of dynamic equilibrium. In any chemical system, dynamic equilibrium refers to a state where the rate of forward reaction is equal to the rate of backward reaction, resulting in no net change in concentrations of reactants and products. In this case, for iodine, a dynamic equilibrium exists between its solid and vapor forms, which means the rate at which solid iodine sublimates into iodine vapor equals the rate at which iodine vapor deposits back into the solid phase.
02

Understand the use of Radioactive Tracer

In chemistry, a radioactive tracer, can be used to track the movement of an element. Therefore, in either solid or vapor form, radioactive iodine can be used to trace the movement of iodine between the two phases.
03

Apply the Radioactive Tracer in Experiment

Once you have understood the principle, next stage involves applying it to an experiment. Here, you start the experiment with the radioactive iodine in one state (either solid or vapor). Over time, as equilibrium establishes itself, the radioactive isotope should spread to become evenly distributed between the two phases. This happens because the isotope continuously moves between the two phases just like non-radioactive iodine would (through sublimation and deposition). The distribution of the radioactive isotope can be detected and measured, so by monitoring its location over time, one can show that dynamic equilibrium exists.

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