How does change in concentration at equilibrium affects the value of #K_C# (equilibrium constant)?
1 Answer
Changes in concentration do not affect the value of
Explanation:
Let's say that this chemical reaction is at equilibrium, and that all reactants and products are either gaseous or aqueous:
The equilibrium constant,
If the concentration of a reactant, such as
However, this does not happen! When the concentration of a reactant,
So, the concentrations of
The same thing happens when the concentration of a product is increased. Let's say that the concentration of
Again, that doesn't happen!
This is because, when the concentration of a product is increased, the backward reaction (which decreases concentrations of
This results in an increase in the concentration of
This idea is reflected in Le Châtelier's Principle, which basically states that, when an equilibrium is disrupted, the position of the equilibrium (which is not
When we disrupted our equilibrium in the form of a change in concentration, either the forward or backward reactions are favoured in order to reduce the effect of that disruption and maintain