Define and give an example of Le Chatalier's Principle of Chemical Equilibrium.

For any change that occurs in a chemical system, the equilibrium of that system will shift in order to counteract the change being imposed on that system. For example, if the temperature is increased for a reaction, and the forward reaction is endothermic, with an endothermic reverse reaction; the system will shift in order to dissipate the excess heat energy. Since an endothermic reaction takes in heat energy from the surroundings, this reaction will be favoured in order to use up the excess heat energy. Hence the shift in equilibrium will favour the reverse reaction. 

BC

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

What is entropy


By considering the mechanism of the two step reaction of butanone and NaBH4 followed by dilute acid, explain why the product has no effect on plane polarised light.


25cm3 of a 0.10moldm-3 solution of sodium hydroxide reacts exactly in a titration with 15cm3 HCl. What is the concentration of the hydrochloric acid?


Balance the following redox equation: PbO2 + SO32- ==> Pb2+ + SO42-