In a reaction at equilibrium, what happens if the pressure is increased?
Practice Questions
Q1
In a reaction at equilibrium, what happens if the pressure is increased?
Shifts to the side with more moles of gas
Shifts to the side with fewer moles of gas
No effect
Reaction stops
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
In a reaction at equilibrium, what happens if the pressure is increased?
Step 1: Understand that a chemical reaction can reach a state called equilibrium, where the forward and reverse reactions happen at the same rate.
Step 2: Know that gases are involved in the reaction and that they take up space.
Step 3: Recognize that increasing the pressure means there is less space for the gas molecules.
Step 4: According to Le Chatelier's Principle, the system will try to reduce the pressure by favoring the side of the reaction with fewer gas molecules.
Step 5: Identify which side of the reaction has fewer moles of gas and understand that the equilibrium will shift towards that side.
