Does Le chatlier's law apply if reactants are liquids and a product is solid?

kenshi64

Hi So the reaction is below:
Sodium thiosulfate + HCl = Sulfur + NaCl+ Water+ SO₂

So if I wanted to say 'Increasing the conc. of Sodium thiosulfate has shifted the equilibrium to the left (reactants) and thus the system works to break down excess reactants and create more product by Chatlier's law' Would this be factually right?

I'm wondering because the example equation on Wikipedia consists of all gases. Thanks in advance! Cheers! :D

Borek

Amount of solid doesn't matter (that is, putting more solid into the system will no shift the equilibrium), but changing concentrations has similar effect to changing pressure.

kenshi64

Sorry, before I go ahead, Is the reaction reversible? I seem to have made a stupid assumption that I can talk about the equilibrium shifting to remove excess reactants when it mayn't be a reversible reaction. How do I know if it is one? THanks Borek

Borek

To some extent every reaction is reversible. In this particular case reverse reaction is what is used to produce thiosulfates (although it is done in alkaline solutions).

kenshi64

Oh god, alas, another experiment down the drain.. Thank you!

Nik_2213

Uh, with the sulphur precipitating out as a colloid, the reaction is some-what reversible. Starting with lumps of sulphur is a different matter. You'd probably need an ultrasonic bath to mobilise the surface reaction...

kenshi64

I appreciate that!, But unfortunately i'm just a 12th grader and I don't have that kind of stuff.