Le Chatelier's Principle
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shakeel shahulLe Chatelier's Principle
Uploaded by
shakeel shahulLE CHATELIER’S
PRINCIPLE
SHAKEEL 10A
Chemical Equilibrium
Reversible Reactions:
A chemical reaction in which the products can react to re-form the reactants.
Chemical Equilibrium:
When the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction and the concentration of
products and reactants remains unchanged.
FOR EXAMPLE:
Approaching Equilibrium
Many chemical reactions are reversible if the
activation energy is low and the system is
closed.
Reactants ⇌ Products
Approaching Equilibrium
Many chemical reactions are reversible if the activation energy is low.
Reactants ⇌ Products
APPROACHING EQUILIBRIUM
Reactant concentrations start high and decrease as the reaction proceeds. The
forward rate, which depends on collisions of the reactants, also decreases.
Product concentrations start at zero and increase as the reaction proceeds. The
reverse rate, which depends on collisions of the products, also increases.
Eventually the forward rate is equal to the reverse rate and the concentrations
are constant. This is equilibrium.
Graphing the Approach to
Equilibrium
We say that the reaction has reached
dynamic equilibrium:
The rate of the forward reaction is
equal to the rate of the reverse
reaction.
The total amounts or concentrations of
the reactants and the products are now
constant.
LeChatelier’s Principle
‘’When a system at
equilibrium is placed
under stress, the system
will undergo a change in
such a way as to relieve
(counteract) that
stress.’’
LeChatelier Translated:
When you take something away from a system
at equilibrium, the system shifts in such a way
as to replace what you’ve taken away.
When you add something to a system at
equilibrium, the system shifts in such a way as
to use up what you’ve added.
Factors that affect the
LeChatelier’s Principle
If a chemical reaction is at equilibrium and experiences a change in pressure, temperature, or
concentration of products or reactants, the equilibrium shifts in the opposite direction to offset the
change.
Things we might try to do to influence the reaction include:
◦ Changing the pressure
◦ Changing the temperature
◦ Adding a catalyst
◦ Changing the concentration
Changing the pressure
Pressure is caused by molecules hitting the walls of its container. If you have fewer molecules in same volume
at the same temperature the pressure is low.
If you increase the pressure in a reaction, the reaction will respond by reducing it. It can reduce the pressure by
producing fewer gaseous molecules. Increasing the pressure will always cause the position of equilibrium to
shift in the direction which produces the smaller number of gaseous molecules.
Consider the reaction between nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas to make ammonia:
If we want to make as much ammonia as possible, we need the pressure to be high as possible. There are 4
molecules of gas on the left hand side but only 2 on the right hence increasing the pressure will therefore shift
the position of equilibrium to the right (ammonia side), the side with fewer gas molecules. However, if there is
the same number of gas molecules on both sides of the reactions then changing the pressure will make no
difference to the position of the equilibrium.
To summarise:
Increasing the pressure: the position of the equilibrium will shift to the side where there is fewer gas molecules.
Decreasing the pressure: the position of the equilibrium will shift to the side where there is more gas
molecules.
Changing the temperature
The effect of changing the temperature in the equilibrium can be made clear by combining heat as
either a reactant or a product, and assuming that an increase in temperature increases the heat
content of a system. When the reaction is exothermic (ΔH is negative, puts energy out), heat is
included as a product, and, when the reaction is endothermic (ΔH is positive, takes energy in), heat is
included as a reactant. Hence, whether increasing or decreasing the temperature would favour the
forward or the reverse reaction.
Take, for example, the reversible reaction of nitrogen gas with hydrogen gas to form ammonia:
N2(g) + 3 H2(g) ⇌ 2 NH3(g) ΔH = -92 kJ mol−1
So the reaction is exothermic. Hence heat is produced:
N2(g) + 3 H2(g) ⇌ 2 NH3(g) + heat
If the temperature were increased, the heat content of the system would increase, so the system
would consume some of that heat by shifting the equilibrium to the left, thereby producing less
ammonia. More ammonia would be produced if the reaction were run at a lower temperature, but a
lower temperature also lowers the rate of the process, so, in practice the temperature is set at a
compromise value that allows ammonia to be made at a reasonable rate with an equilibrium
concentration that is not too unfavourable.
To summarise:
Increase the temperature: the position of the equilibrium shifts in the endothermic direction.
Decrease the temperature: the position of the equilibrium shifts in the exothermic direction.
Changing the concentration
According to Le Chatelier’s principle, adding additional reactant to a system will shift the equilibrium
to the right, towards the side of the products. By the same logic, reducing the concentration of any
product will also shift equilibrium to the right. The converse is also true. If we add additional product to
a system, the equilibrium will shift to the left, in order to produce more reactants. Or, if we remove
reactants from the system, equilibrium will also be shifted to the left.
This can be illustrated by the equilibrium of this reaction, where carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas
react to form methanol:
CO +2H2 ⇌CH3OH
Suppose we were to increase the concentration of CO in the system. By Le Chatelier’s principle, we
can predict that the amount of methanol will increase, thereby decreasing the total change in CO.
This observation is supported by the collision theory. As the concentration of CO is increased, the
frequency of successful collisions of that reactant would increase as well, allowing for an increase in
the forward reaction, and thus the generation of the product.
Adding a catalyst
Adding a catalyst speeds up reactions. In reversible change, it speeds up the forward and reverse
reactions by the same proportion. For example, if it speeds up the forward reaction ten times, it speeds
up the reverse reactions ten times as well. The net effect of this is that there in no change in the
position of equilibrium if you add a catalyst. The catalyst is added to increase the rate of reaction at
which equilibrium is reached.