Cambridge O Level Chemistry · Syllabus 5070 · Chemical Reactions
Haber Process
What is Haber Process?
The industrial manufacture of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen over an iron catalyst. Nitrogen comes from the air and hydrogen from methane, and the reversible reaction is run at about 450 degrees Celsius and 20000 kilopascals, which is 200 atmospheres, as a compromise between equilibrium yield, reaction rate and plant cost.
This definition is part of the Chemical Reactions chapter in Cambridge O Level Chemistry.
Common mistakes with Haber Process
- 10. “A catalyst increases the yield.” Why temptingMore product appears sooner, which looks like more product. RepairIt lowers the activation energy of forward and reverse reactions equally, so both rates rise by the same factor. Equilibrium arrives sooner at exactly the same composition. TransferExplain why iron is used in the Haber process. To reach equilibrium fast enough at \(450\,{}^\circ\mathrm{C}\) — not to raise the yield.
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