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LeChatelier'sPrinciple

LECHATELIER'SPRINCIPLE
ThispagelooksatLeChatelier'sPrincipleandexplainshowto
applyittoreactionsinastateofdynamicequilibrium.Itcovers
changestothepositionofequilibriumifyouchange
concentration,pressureortemperature.Italsoexplainsvery
brieflywhycatalystshavenoeffectonthepositionof
equilibrium.
Important:Ifyouaren'tsureaboutthewordsdynamic
equilibriumorpositionofequilibriumyoushouldreadthe
introductorypagebeforeyougoon

Itisimportantinunderstandingeverythingonthispageto
realisethatLeChatelier'sPrincipleisnomorethanauseful
guidetohelpyouworkoutwhathappenswhenyouchangethe
conditionsinareactionindynamicequilibrium.Itdoesn'texplain
anything.I'llkeepcomingbacktothatpoint!

UsingLeChatelier'sPrinciple
AstatementofLeChatelier'sPrinciple
Ifadynamicequilibriumisdisturbedbychangingthe
conditions,thepositionofequilibriummovestocounteract
thechange.

UsingLeChatelier'sPrinciplewithachangeof
concentration
Supposeyouhaveanequilibriumestablishedbetweenfour
substancesA,B,CandD.

Note:Incaseyouwonder,thereasonforchoosingthis
equationratherthanhavingjustA+Bonthelefthandsideis
becausefurtherdownthispageIneedanequationwhichhas
differentnumbersofmoleculesoneachside.Iamgoingto
usethatsameequationthroughoutthispage.
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/equilibria/lechatelier.html

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LeChatelier'sPrinciple

Whatwouldhappenifyouchangedtheconditionsby
increasingtheconcentrationofA?
AccordingtoLeChatelier,thepositionofequilibriumwillmovein
suchawayastocounteractthechange.Thatmeansthatthe
positionofequilibriumwillmovesothattheconcentrationofA
decreasesagainbyreactingitwithBandturningitintoC+D.
Thepositionofequilibriummovestotheright.

Thisisausefulwayofconvertingthemaximumpossibleamount
ofBintoCandD.Youmightuseitif,forexample,Bwasa
relativelyexpensivematerialwhereasAwascheapandplentiful.
Whatwouldhappenifyouchangedtheconditionsby
decreasingtheconcentrationofA?
AccordingtoLeChatelier,thepositionofequilibriumwillmove
sothattheconcentrationofAincreasesagain.Thatmeansthat
moreCandDwillreacttoreplacetheAthathasbeenremoved.
Thepositionofequilibriummovestotheleft.

Thisisesssentiallywhathappensifyouremoveoneofthe
productsofthereactionassoonasitisformed.If,forexample,
youremovedCassoonasitwasformed,thepositionof
equilibriumwouldmovetotherighttoreplaceit.Ifyoukepton
removingit,theequilibriumpositionwouldkeeponmoving
rightwardsturningthisintoaonewayreaction.

Important
Thisisn'tinanywayanexplanationofwhythepositionof
equilibriummovesinthewaysdescribed.AllLeChatelier's
Principlegivesyouisaquickwayofworkingoutwhathappens.
Note:Ifyouknowaboutequilibriumconstants,youwillfind
amoredetailedexplanationoftheeffectofachangeof
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/equilibria/lechatelier.html

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