Le Chatalier's Principle

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In summary, according to Le Chateliers Principle, the equilibrium of an endothermic reaction will shift to the right when the temperature is decreased, leading to an increase in the number of moles of SO3. However, in this case, the mixture was cooled instead of heated, which will cause the equilibrium to shift to the left.
  • #1
reyrey389
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What will happen to the number of moles of SO3 in equilibrium with SO2 and O2 in the reaction
2SO3(g) <-> 2SO2 (g) + O2 (g) H = 197kJ if the temperatrue is decreased?

I know this is endothermic, so heat is on the reactant side and that the reaction will shift to the left, so SO3 increases?
 
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  • #2
Le Chateliers Principle states that any dynamic equilibruim will oppose changes imposed. Therefore heating an endothermic reaction will force the equilibrium in the endothermic direction which in your example would be to the right
 
  • #3
tex43 said:
Le Chateliers Principle states that any dynamic equilibruim will oppose changes imposed. Therefore heating an endothermic reaction will force the equilibrium in the endothermic direction which in your example would be to the right

(bolding mine)

According to the original question temperature is decreasing. That means mixture was cooled, not heated.
 
  • #4
Apologies Borek, didn't read the question properly ... cardinal sin.
 
  • #5


Le Chatalier's Principle states that when a system at equilibrium is subjected to a change, the system will respond in a way that minimizes the effect of that change. In this case, since the temperature is decreased, the reaction is shifted to the left in order to consume more heat and maintain equilibrium. This means that the number of moles of SO3 will increase, as it is the reactant in the forward reaction. This is in accordance with the principle, as increasing the amount of SO3 will consume more heat and shift the reaction back to equilibrium. Therefore, the number of moles of SO3 will increase in this scenario.
 

What is Le Chatalier's Principle?

Le Chatalier's Principle is a fundamental concept in chemistry that states when a system at equilibrium is subjected to a stress, the equilibrium will shift in a direction that minimizes the effect of the stress.

What is meant by "stress" in Le Chatalier's Principle?

Stress refers to any change in the conditions of a chemical reaction, such as temperature, pressure, or concentration, that disrupts the equilibrium of the system.

How does Le Chatalier's Principle apply to changes in concentration?

If the concentration of a reactant or product is increased, the equilibrium will shift in the direction that consumes or produces that substance, respectively, to minimize the change in concentration.

What effect does temperature have on Le Chatalier's Principle?

A change in temperature can cause an equilibrium shift in either direction, depending on whether the reaction is exothermic or endothermic. An increase in temperature favors the endothermic reaction, while a decrease in temperature favors the exothermic reaction.

How does pressure affect Le Chatalier's Principle?

Changes in pressure only affect the equilibrium of a reaction involving gases. An increase in pressure will shift the equilibrium towards the side with fewer moles of gas, while a decrease in pressure will shift the equilibrium towards the side with more moles of gas.

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