In a closed system at equilibrium, if the volume is decreased, what will happen
Practice Questions
Q1
In a closed system at equilibrium, if the volume is decreased, what will happen to the equilibrium position?
Shift to the side with more moles of gas
Shift to the side with fewer moles of gas
No change
Increase in pressure
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
In a closed system at equilibrium, if the volume is decreased, what will happen to the equilibrium position?
Step 1: Understand that a closed system means no substances can enter or leave.
Step 2: Recognize that equilibrium is a state where the forward and reverse reactions occur at the same rate.
Step 3: Know that decreasing the volume of the system will increase the pressure inside the system.
Step 4: Remember that according to Le Chatelier's principle, if a change is made to a system at equilibrium, the system will adjust to counteract that change.
Step 5: Since the pressure increases when the volume decreases, the equilibrium will shift to reduce the pressure.
Step 6: The side of the reaction with fewer moles of gas will help reduce the pressure, so the equilibrium will shift towards that side.
