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N2O4 (g) ® 2NO2 (g) |
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N2O4 (g) ® 2NO2 (g) |
In a cylinder filled with a movable piston. What happens if we increase the pressure on the gas by pushing down on the piston at constant temperature? Since the volume decreases, the concentration (n/V) of both N2O4 and NO2 increases. Because the concentration of NO2 is squared in the equilibrium constant expression, the increase in pressure increases the numerator more than the denominator. the system is no longer at equilibrium, so we write
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Qc = [NO2]2 / [N2O4] |
Thus Qc > Kc (reaction quotient > constant of reaction) and the net reaction will shift to the left until Qc < Kc, and the net reaction would shift to the right until Qc = Kc
Le Chatelier / Le Chatelier's Principle
Changes in concentration / Changes in temperature / Summary