Le Chatelier's principle

• Le Chatelier's Principle

  If you change the conditions of a reversible reaction at equilibrium, the system will try to counter that change in order to restore the equilibrium.
• How is Le Chatelier's principle useful?

  Allows us to predict the affect of any changes made to a system
• According to the principle what happens if you decrease the temp

  The position of the equilibrium will shift towards the exothermic direction, to produce more heat (counteracts the decrease in heat)
• What happens if you increase the temp

  The equilibrium will shift towards the endothermic direction to decrease the temp (counteracts the increase in heat)
• What happens if you increase the pressure

  Equilibrium will shift side to side with fewer molecules of gas to reduce pressure (counteracts increase in pressure)
• What happens if you decrease the pressure

  Equilibrium will shift side to side with more molecules of gas to increase pressure (counteracts decrease in pressure)
• What happens if you increase the concentration of reactants

  Equilibrium will shift right to reduce reactant concentrations
• What happens if you decrease the concentrations of reactants

  Equilibrium will shift to the left to increase the reactant concentrations
• What happens if you add a catalyst

  It will have no effect on the position of equilibrium