A sample of liquid ethanol is placed in an open flask at constant temperature

CHEMISTRY · Subjective · A Level · Chemistry · Chemical equilibria (Le Chatelier’s principle and Kc) · Chemical equilibria (Le Chatelier’s principle and Kc)

Problem

A sample of liquid ethanol is placed in an open flask at constant temperature. The evaporation (forward) rate decreases slightly with time but remains appreciable, while the condensation (reverse) rate stays essentially zero throughout the observation period. Explain whether this system can attain equilibrium under these conditions and justify your answer.

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