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Chemistry LibreTexts

19.5: Le Châtelier's Principle

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Le Chatelier's Principle

Chemical equilibrium was studied by French chemist Henri Le Chatelier (1850-1936) and his description of how a system responds to a stress on equilibrium has become known as Le Chatelier's principle: When a chemical system that is at equilibrium is disturbed by a stress, the system will respond in order to relieve the stress. Stresses to a chemical system involve changes in the concentration of reactants or products, changes in the temperature of the system, or changes in the pressure of the system. We will discuss each of these stresses separately. The change to the equilibrium position in every case is either a favoring of the forward reaction or a favoring of the reverse reaction. When the forward reaction is favored, the concentrations of products increase, while the concentrations of reactants decrease. When the reverse reaction is favored, the concentrations of products decrease, while the concentrations of reactants increase.

Le Chatelier's Principle
Table 19.5.1
Original Equilibrium Favored Reaction Result
AB Forward: AB [A] decreases; [B] increases
AB Reverse: AB [A] increases; [B] decreases
Sepia-toned portrait of a man with glasses and a mustache, wearing a high-collared shirt and dark suit, gazing to the side.
Figure 19.5.1: Henri Le Chatelier.

Summary


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