0 votes
47 views
in Chemical equilibrium by (410 points)
How would adding more reactants to a reaction at equilibrium affect the direction of the reaction and the equilibrium position, and what would be the quantitative effect on the equilibrium constant?

1 Answer

0 votes
by (610 points)
Adding more reactants to a reaction at equilibrium will affect the direction of the reaction and the equilibrium position according to Le Chatelier's principle. Le Chatelier's principle states that if a system at equilibrium is subjected to a change in concentration, temperature, or pressure, the system will adjust itself to counteract the change and restore a new equilibrium state.When you add more reactants to a reaction at equilibrium, the system will shift in the direction that consumes the added reactants to re-establish equilibrium. This means that the reaction will proceed in the forward direction, leading to an increase in the concentration of the products and a decrease in the concentration of the reactants.However, the equilibrium constant  K  remains unchanged when you add more reactants, as it is only affected by changes in temperature. The equilibrium constant is a ratio of the concentrations of products to reactants, raised to their respective stoichiometric coefficients, at equilibrium. Although the concentrations of reactants and products change when you add more reactants, the ratio of their concentrations at the new equilibrium state will still be equal to the equilibrium constant.In summary, adding more reactants to a reaction at equilibrium will cause the reaction to shift in the forward direction, altering the equilibrium position, but the equilibrium constant will remain unchanged.

Related questions

Welcome to Sarvan Science Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community.
...