How does increasing the temperature affect the equilibrium constant (K) of an en
Practice Questions
Q1
How does increasing the temperature affect the equilibrium constant (K) of an endothermic reaction?
K decreases
K increases
K remains constant
K becomes zero
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
How does increasing the temperature affect the equilibrium constant (K) of an endothermic reaction?
Step 1: Understand what an endothermic reaction is. It is a reaction that absorbs heat from the surroundings.
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 the temperature adds heat to the reaction.
Step 4: For endothermic reactions, adding heat shifts the equilibrium towards the products.
Step 5: As the equilibrium shifts towards the products, the concentration of products increases.
Step 6: Since K is the ratio of products to reactants, an increase in products means that K increases.
Step 7: Therefore, for an endothermic reaction, increasing the temperature increases the equilibrium constant (K).
Le Chatelier's Principle – The principle that states if a system at equilibrium is subjected to a change in temperature, pressure, or concentration, the system will adjust to counteract that change.
Endothermic Reactions – Reactions that absorb heat, leading to an increase in the equilibrium constant with rising temperature.
Equilibrium Constant (K) – A value that expresses the ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants at equilibrium, which is temperature-dependent.
