What is the effect of temperature on the equilibrium constant K for an exothermi
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the effect of temperature on the equilibrium constant K for an exothermic reaction?
K increases with temperature
K decreases with temperature
K remains constant
K is independent of temperature
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the effect of temperature on the equilibrium constant K for an exothermic reaction?
Step 1: Understand what an exothermic reaction is. It is a reaction that releases heat.
Step 2: Know that the equilibrium constant K is a number that tells us the ratio of products to reactants at equilibrium.
Step 3: Remember that increasing temperature adds heat to the system.
Step 4: For exothermic reactions, adding heat (increasing temperature) shifts the equilibrium to the left, meaning it favors the reactants.
Step 5: When the equilibrium shifts to the left, the concentration of products decreases and the concentration of reactants increases.
Step 6: Since K is based on the concentrations of products and reactants, a decrease in products and an increase in reactants means that K will decrease.
