Q.State and explain Le-Chatelier's principle. Which factors can alter the equilibrium state?
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Le-Chatelier's principle: a stressed equilibrium shifts to oppose the stress; concentration, pressure/volume, and temperature can all shift the equilibrium position (a catalyst cannot).
Statement
Le-Chatelier's principle states that when a system in dynamic equilibrium is subjected to a change of concentration, pressure, volume, or temperature, the equilibrium shifts in a direction that tends to reduce or counteract the effect of that change, and a new equilibrium is established.
Factors that alter the equilibrium state
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Concentration: Increasing the concentration of a reactant shifts equilibrium forward (towards products) to consume the extra reactant; increasing product concentration shifts it backward.
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Pressure/Volume (for gaseous reactions with a change in moles of gas): Increasing pressure (decreasing volume) shifts equilibrium towards the side with fewer moles of gas, since that reduces the total number of gas molecules and hence opposes the pressure increase. Example: N2(g) + 3H2(g) rightleftharpoons 2NH3(g) shifts forward on compression, since 4 mol of gas becomes 2 mol.
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Temperature: For an exothermic reaction, increasing temperature shifts equilibrium backward (the system absorbs the extra heat by favouring the endothermic reverse reaction); for an endothermic reaction, increasing temperature shifts it forward.
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