What is the effect of adding an inert gas at constant volume on the equilibrium of a reaction?
Practice Questions
1 question
Q1
What is the effect of adding an inert gas at constant volume on the equilibrium of a reaction?
Shifts the equilibrium to the right
Shifts the equilibrium to the left
No effect on the equilibrium position
Increases the equilibrium constant
Adding an inert gas at constant volume does not change the partial pressures of the reactants and products, thus it has no effect on the equilibrium position.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
1 item
Q
Q: What is the effect of adding an inert gas at constant volume on the equilibrium of a reaction?
Solution: Adding an inert gas at constant volume does not change the partial pressures of the reactants and products, thus it has no effect on the equilibrium position.
Steps: 5
Step 1: Understand what an inert gas is. An inert gas is a gas that does not react with the substances in the reaction.
Step 2: Know that equilibrium in a reaction means the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal.
Step 3: Recognize that adding an inert gas at constant volume means you are increasing the total pressure of the system without changing the amount of reactants or products.
Step 4: Realize that the partial pressures of the reactants and products depend only on their amounts and not on the total pressure when the volume is constant.
Step 5: Conclude that since the partial pressures of the reactants and products remain unchanged, the equilibrium position of the reaction is not affected.