Le Châtelier’s Principle

Question

The density of graphite is 2.26 g/cm3 and that of diamond is 3.51 g/cm3. If the pressure increases, what does Le Châtelier’s Principle suggest will happen if the pressure is high enough?

Answer 1

C_(s)graphite ↔ C_(s)diamond

Normally this rule applies to gases. When the pressure increases, the system will shift to favor the side that occupies a smaller volume.

Essentially, diamond is more compact than graphite since it has a higher density. 10.0 grams of graphite has a bigger volume than 10.0 grams of diamond. If the pressure is very high, the more dense form (diamond) will be favored.