Equilibrium and LeChatelier's Principle - Background

LeChatelier's Principle



Unless something is done to disturb a system at equilibrium it will remain at equilibrium. Any changes that disturb a system at equilibrium are called stresses. We are often able to predict the outcome of applying a stress to an equilibrium system using LeChatelier's Principle. It states that when an equilibrium system is disturbed, the system will shift in such a way as to relieve the applied stress. The three most common ways to stress a system at equilibrium are changing the concentration of one of the reactants or products, changing the temperature of the system, or changing the pressure on the system. As the last stress applies primarily to gaseous systems, we will concern ourselves with only the first two stresses.


Continue with concentration changes as an equilibrium stress.


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