Contents
- 1 What can cause equilibrium to shift?
- 2 What happens to equilibrium when temperature is increased?
- 3 Why equilibrium constant is not affected by concentration?
- 4 What does it mean to shift equilibrium in chemistry?
- 5 When is equilibrium established in a reverse reaction?
- 6 How does Le chartelier’s principle relate to dynamic equilibrium?
What can cause equilibrium to shift?
Changes in Concentration According to Le Chatelier’s principle, adding additional reactant to a system will shift the equilibrium to the right, towards the side of the products. By the same logic, reducing the concentration of any product will also shift equilibrium to the right.
What happens to equilibrium when temperature is increased?
The forward reaction is exothermic (it gives off heat), so the backward reaction is endothermic (takes in heat). This means that if the temperature is increased, this favours the endothermic direction – so the position of equilibrium moves to the left.
What is true equilibrium?
The equilibrium state is one in which there is no net change in the concentrations of reactants and products. Nothing could be further from the truth; at equilibrium, the forward and reverse reactions continue, but at identical rates, thereby leaving the net concentrations of reactants and products undisturbed.
Why equilibrium constant is not affected by concentration?
Why is the equilibrium constant even by changing concentrations? The equilibrium constant does not change because it is a measure of the relative concentrations of the reactants and products at equilibrium.
What does it mean to shift equilibrium in chemistry?
Simply shifting equilibrium means increased rate of conversion of substances, predicating on the change in the reaction in the first place. Sorry, it’s quite long winded and irrelevant at times, I hope you’ve benefitted from this though. I’ve also used the idea of changing concentrations in particular from Ashu, if that’s alright.
When do we use the term position of equilibrium?
We use the term ‘ position of equilibrium’ to describe the relative concentrations of reactant and product. When a reaction starts out it might be that the reactants are converted very quickly to products, and the forward reaction is almost finished before the reverse reaction starts to happen.
When is equilibrium established in a reverse reaction?
Once the rate of the reverse reaction has increased to match the rate of the forward reaction, equilibrium is established. In this case we say the position of equilibrium lies to the products/to the right-hand side of the reaction.
How does Le chartelier’s principle relate to dynamic equilibrium?
Le Chartelier’s principle tells us that if you impose a change, the dynamic equilibrium will act against it to keep everything constant. If you increase the concentration of reactants or decrease the concentration of products, the position of equilibrium will shift to the product side.