Le Chateliers Principle Flashcards
What is Le Chatelier’s principle?
If you change the conditions of a reversible reaction at equilibrium the system will try to counteract the change.
How can the principle be used?
allows us to predict how the position of an equilibrium will shift in response to a change in its conditions.
What does the principle state?
If the conditions of an equilibrium are changed, the equilibrium will shift its position in order to counteract that change.
What 3 main conditions that’s changes do reversible reactions try to counteract?
. temperature
. pressure
.concentration
How does an equilibrium shift because of a change in it’s temperature?
It shifts in its position to oppose any change in its remperature
What happens with the equilibrium if the temperature increases?
The equilibrium will shift towards whichever side of the temperature that produces a lower temperature. The relative amount of products at equilibrium increase for an endothermic reaction, the relative amount of products at equilibrium decreases for an exothermic reaction.
What does this to the temperature of the reaction?
It reduces the temperature of the reaction, by opposing the change
What happens to the equilibrium if the temperature decreases?
The equilibrium will move in the exothermic direction to produce more heat–> you’ll get more products for the endothermic reaction and fewer for the exothermic reaction. The relative amount of products at equilibrium decreases for an endothermic reaction, the relative amount of products at equilibrium increases for an exothermic reaction.
How does the equilibrium change because of a shift in the pressure
The equilibrium will shift in its position to oppose any change in temperature.
What type of equilibrium will pressure only effect?
One involving gases
What will happen if the pressure is increased?
The molecules will go to the side with the fewer molecules in order to oppose the change. An increase in pressure causes the equilibrium position to shift towards the side with the smaller number of molecules as shown by the symbol equation for that reaction.
What happens with the equilibrium if the pressure is decreased
It moves in the direction where there are more molecules of gas t try and increase the pressure. A decrease in pressure causes the equilibrium position to shift towards the side with the larger number of molecules as shown by the symbol equation for that reaction.
How can you see which side of a reaction has more molecules of gas?
By using a balanced symbol equation (and looking at the moles)
What happens to the equilibrium of the reaction if the concentration of one of the sides changes?
The system will no longer be at equilibrium.
What will then happen to the system?
It will try to being itself back to equilibrium again.
What happens if the concentration of the reactants is increased?
The system will try to decrease it, by making more products.
If you decrease the concentration of the products, what happens?
The system shift the equillibrium to the reactants until equilibrium is reached. So that they increase and more products are produced.
