Le Chatelier's Principle and Effects on Equilibrium

According to Le Chatelier’s Principle, when a stress is applied to a system, it will disturb that system’s equilibrium. The equilibrium will shift in order to relieve that stress. Temperature, pressure, volume, and concentration are all stressors that will affect various types of reactions. It is important to know certain key features regarding a reaction before trying to analyze the effect a stressor will have. If trying to determine the effect that temperature changes have on a reaction, it is necessary to know whether the reaction is endothermic or exothermic. If trying to determine the effects that pressure changes have on a reaction, you must determine the molar amounts of gases on either side of the equation. Finally, when trying to determine the impact that a change in concentration will have, look for common ions.

You can witness Le Chatelier’s Principle in the image on this page. The image shows that the value of K can change with temperature. When temperature is added the reaction shifts to the right and turns reddish-brown. When temperature is removed the reaction shifts left and turns yellowish. This shows that the equilibrium shifts in the direction that is using the energy.