4NH3(g) + 5O2(g) = 4NO(g) + 6H2O(g) + energy. Using this formula to anwser the following questions, represent a higher or lower concentration with an arrow for each

Question

1) How would adding NH3 affect each individual molecule's equilibrium concentration?

2) How would removing O2 effect each individual molecule's equilibrium concentration?

3) How would adding NO affect each individual molecule's equilibrium concentration?

4) How would removing H2O affect each individual molecule's equilibrium concentration?

5) How would an increase in temperature affect each individual molecule's equilibrium concentration?

6) How would a decrease in temperature affect each individual molecule's equilibrium concentration?

7) How would an increase in pressure affect each individual molecule's equilibrium concentration?

8) How would a decrease in pressure affect each individual molecule's equilibrium concentration?

9) How would adding a catalyst affect each individual molecule's equilibrium concentration?

Answer 1

So Hayla D., you can figure all these yourself, using Le Chatelier's Principle:

If you perturb an equilibrated system in any way, the system will re-equilibrate so as to counteract your change.

So -- take away some NH₃, and the system moves so as to make (a little) more NH₃, and so on. With respect to energy, think of it just like another substance. So if you add heat to the system (by heating), then whatever gets rid of heat will occur in response, in this case, the system will move to the left (if you produce heat by moving to the right, you remove heat by moving to the left).

Please realize, that is a qualitative description of the response. You do not, for example, produce exactly 1 molecule of NH₃ if you take away 1 molecule of NH₃ . That would be unreasonable, because if implies that you could remove successive materials, and they would all be regenerated out of nothing!

-- Cheers, -Mr. d.