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Lesson 9 Reactions

  Conclusion

Have you ever noticed that sometimes hard-boiled eggs can be very difficult to peel?



B9.15 Peeling hard-boiled eggs
A tip that you can use to help make eggs easier to peel is to add vinegar to the water when the eggs are being boiled. The chemistry behind this tip has to do with the acidic nature of vinegar and the basic properties of the egg shells. This is just one example of how a little knowledge of chemical reactions can be used to enhance your daily life.

In addition to chemical reactions being important to your daily life, there are also large-scale industrial operations that use chemical reactions to produce useful substances and energy.

  Simulation

Haber–Bosch Ammonia Plant @ AnnenBerg Learner


Industrial operations are essential for the large-scale production of useful substances, but these operations also need to be profitable. By manipulating conditions, can you successfully run an industrial ammonia plant that utilizes the Haber–Bosch process?

Click on the procedure tab to continue.

  1. Click on the play icon to open the virtual lab. The lab can also be accessed at https://www.learner.org/series/chemistry-challenges-and-solutions/control-a-haber-bosch-ammonia-plant/
  2. Leave all controls in their default settings and click “RUN.”

    What was the Net Profit?

    –$12 000/day
  3. Click “Reset Values.”
  4. Increase “Pressure” to 500 atm.
  5. Increase “Temperature” to 450 oC.
  6. Click “Improved” under “Catalyst.”
  7. Click “RUN.”

    What was the Net Profit?

    $24 372/day
  8. Click “Reset Values.”
  9. Try other combinations of the control panel to try to maximize the net profit. Try manipulating the type of catalyst, purge, flow rate, or cooling.
  10. You can track your trials by clicking “See Results.”

    What settings provided maximum profits?

    Answers will vary, but profit will be increased by keeping temperature and pressure high, using the highest quality catalyst, keeping cooling low, increasing flow rate, and increasing purging to a higher percentage. With these settings, you should be able to get daily profits above $34 000.