In a reaction at equilibrium, what happens if the concentration of a reactant is
Practice Questions
Q1
In a reaction at equilibrium, what happens if the concentration of a reactant is increased?
The equilibrium shifts to the right
The equilibrium shifts to the left
The equilibrium remains unchanged
The reaction stops
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
In a reaction at equilibrium, what happens if the concentration of a reactant is increased?
Step 1: Understand that a chemical reaction can reach a state called equilibrium, where the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction.
Step 2: Recognize that in this equilibrium state, the concentrations of reactants and products remain constant.
Step 3: Know that if you increase the concentration of a reactant, you are adding more of that substance to the reaction.
Step 4: According to Le Chatelier's principle, the system will respond to this change by trying to reduce the effect of the added reactant.
Step 5: The system shifts the equilibrium position to the right, which means it will produce more products to balance the increased reactant concentration.
Step 6: As a result, the formation of products is favored, leading to an increase in their concentration.
