A manufacturer can produce compound D by any one of three single-step gas-phase reactions carried out at 500 K. Relevant equilibrium data are shown.
Process W: KW=0.85
Process X: KX=9.7
Process Y: KY=5.4×103
If operating costs and environmental impacts are otherwise identical, which process is most likely to minimize wasted reactants in a single pass through the reactor?
a) Process X
b) Process W
c) Process Y
d) All three processes will waste similar amounts of reactant because they occur at the same temperature.