Le Chatelier's Principle

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AP Chemistry › Le Chatelier's Principle

Questions 1 - 10
1

Figure 1: Ammonia gas formation and equilibrium

Experimental data shows that the reaction shifts to the left at very cold temperatures. Using this information, what type of reaction is shown in Figure 1?

Endothermic

Exothermic

Endergonic

Exergonic

Boltzmann-like

Explanation

This is an application of Le Chatlier's Principle. When you take away heat from the reaction, the reaction shifts toward the left in order to compensate from the heat loss. The reaction may then be rewritten to include energy as a reactant.

Since the energy is on the reactant side, the reaction is endothermic.

2

Self-ionization of water is endothermic. What is the value of the sum pH + pOH at ?

Less than 14

Equal to 14

Greater than 14

It is impossible to determine without more information

Explanation

Recall that ion-product constant of water, , is at and .

An endothermic reaction signifies that heat is at the reactant side. By the LeChatelier's principle, increased heat to shifts the equilibrium to the right side, favoring the increase of and . This means that and both increase, decreasing pH and pOH to less than 7, each. As a result, pH + pOH is less than 14.

3

According to Le Chatelier's principle, which of the following occurs when you compress a system containing at least one gas species?

shifts to favor the side with less moles of gas

shifts to favor the side with more moles of gas

remains at equilibrium

not enough information to determine

Explanation

According to Le Chatelier's principle, when you compress a system, its volume decreases, so partial pressure of the all the gases in the system increases. The system will act to try to decrease the pressure by decreasing the moles of gas.

4

Which of the following stresses would lead the exothermic reaction below to shift to the right?

Increasing \[A\]

Increasing \[C\]

Increasing the temperature

Decreasing the volume

Explanation

By increasing the concentration of one of the reactants, the reaction will compensate by shifting to the right to increase production of products.

Increasing the concentration of one of the products (such as increasing \[C\]), however, would have the opposite effect. Increasing the temperature of an exothermic reaction would shift the reaction to the left, while increasing the temperature of an endothermic reaction would lead to a rightward shift. Finally, decreasing the volume leads to an increase in partial pressure of each gas, which the system compensates for by shifting to the side with fewer moles of gas. In this case, the right side has three moles of gas, while the left side has two; thus decreasing volume would shift equilibrium to the left.

5

Consider the following balanced chemical equation:

What will be the effect on the concentration of if the overall pressure of the system increases, but the volume remains constant? Why?

The concentration of will increase because of added heat

There will be no effect on because the number of molecules of gas is the same on both sides

The concentration of will increase because that will counteract the increased pressure

The concentration of will decrease because that will counteract the increased pressure

The concentration of will decrease because of added heat

Explanation

To answer this question we need to combine our knowledge of a few different subjects. Under normal cicrumstances, when determining the effects of a system pressure change, we compare the number of moles of gas on either side of the equilibrium. In this case, there are 2 moles of gas on either side, which means that neither side is favored in terms of pressure changes.

However, we consider that in this case, the pressure is increasing while the volume remains constant. Since the total moles of gas cannot be changed in a closed system, we have to conclude that increased pressure results in increased temperature. If is greater than , then must also be greater than .

Since this reaction is exothermic, increasing the temperature (i.e. adding heat) causes the reaction to shift to the left; therefore, the concentration of increases.

6

If heat is added to an exothermic reaction, in which direction will the equilibrium shift according to Le Chatelier's principle?

It shifts to the left.

It shifts to the right.

It cannot be determined.

Equilibrium does not shift.

Explanation

In an exothermic reaction, heat can be treated as a product. Thus, if you add more product (heat), the reaction will shift to the left to form more reactants.

7

Which of the following stresses to a system at equilibrium cause an increase in the production of CH3OH ? CO(g)+ 2H2(g) → CH3OH(g)
(a) H2 is added. (b) The volume is increased. (c) Argon is added. (d) Removing CO.

(a), (b), (c), (d)

(a), (c), (d)

(a), (d)

(b)

(a)

Explanation

LeChatelier’s principle states that if a stress is applied to a rxn mixture at equilibrium,
reaction occurs in the direction that relieves the stress. Therefore, adding H2 will produce
more methanol. By increasing the volume and decreasing the pressure, there will be a net
reaction in the direction that increases the number of moles of gas. So since there are 3
moles of gas on the products side and only 1 mole of gas on the reactants side, if the volume is increased less methanol will be produced. Since Ar is an inert, it will have no effect on the amount of methanol produced. Removing CO will cause a shift in the reaction from right to left causing less methanol to be produced.

8

What would happen to the Ksp if NH3 was added to an existing solution of Na2SO4?

It woud remain unchanged.

It would increase.

It would decrease.

It is impossible to determine.

Explanation

Ksp is dependent only on the species itself and the temperature of the solution. Adding another compound or stressing the system will not affect Ksp.

9

Which of the following would occur if NH3 was added to an existing solution of Na2SO4?

Additional Na2SO4 will precipitate

Na2SO4 will dissolve more

No effect

It is impossible to determine

Explanation

Both Na2SO4 and ammonia are slightly basic compounds. Thus, adding ammonia will create a common ion effect, where less sodium sulfate will be able to dissolve and some would precipitate out of solution.

10

Consider the following reaction:

What will happen to the equilibrium constant if the concentration of is increased? Why?

The equilibrium constant will go through an unclear change because it is temperature dependent

Nothing, because the equilibrium constant is not affected by concentration changes

The equilibrium constant will increase because the concentration of has increased

The equilibrium constant will decrease because the reaction will shift towards the reactants

None of the other answers

Explanation

By Le Chatelier's principle, when a concentration on the right side increases, the reaction shifts towards the left side in order to balance out the disturbance to equilibrium. In doing so, heat will be consumed along with , which will lower the temperature of the system. Since the equilibrium constant is temperature dependent its value will change, but without experimental observation it is not entirely clear how it will change.

It is true that concentration changes normally do not affect the equilibrium constant, but because in this case temperature is affected by concentration changes, that rule does not hold.

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