17.7 Exercise 4

Water gas is a 1:1 mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas and is called water gas because it is formed from steam and hot carbon in the following reaction: $\text{H}_{2} \text{O} \left(g\right) + \text{C} \left(s\right) \rightleftharpoons \text{H}_{2} \left(g\right) + \text{CO} \left(g\right) .$ Methanol, a liquid fuel that could possibly replace gasoline, can be prepared from water gas and hydrogen at high temperature and pressure in the presence of a suitable catalyst. What will happen to the concentrations of H₂, CO, and CH₃OH at equilibrium if more catalyst is added?