When acetone is added to saturated sodium chloride, the equilibrium shifts toward the right. What is the role of acetone in shifting the equilibrium toward the right? any help would be appreciated. My TA is of no use in explaining our lab experiments. thanks
See my response to your post above.
In order to understand the role of acetone in shifting the equilibrium toward the right when added to saturated sodium chloride, let's break down the question into smaller parts.
1. What is equilibrium?
Equilibrium is a state in which the forward and reverse reactions occur at equal rates, resulting in a constant concentration of reactants and products. In other words, it is a dynamic balance between the forward and reverse reactions.
2. What does it mean to shift the equilibrium?
Shifting the equilibrium means changing the concentrations of reactants and products by either adding or removing substances. This affects the rates of the forward and reverse reactions, consequently altering the equilibrium position.
3. What does "the equilibrium shifts toward the right" mean?
If the equilibrium shifts toward the right, it means that the concentration of the products increases, while the concentration of the reactants decreases. In other words, more product is formed from the reactants.
Now let's consider the role of acetone in this scenario:
Acetone is a polar organic solvent, and it has the ability to dissolve various substances, including inorganic salts like sodium chloride (NaCl).
When acetone is added to saturated sodium chloride, it affects the concentration of the reactants, which in this case are the sodium ions (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-) in the solution.
Acetone has a higher affinity for the sodium and chloride ions than water, the solvent typically used for dissolving sodium chloride. As a result, some of the sodium and chloride ions will dissolve in the acetone, reducing their concentration in the aqueous phase.
According to Le Chatelier's principle, a system at equilibrium will respond to any changes by trying to counteract those changes and restore the equilibrium. In this case, since the concentration of the sodium and chloride ions has decreased in the aqueous phase, the equilibrium will shift toward the right to produce more of these ions.
To summarize, the role of acetone in shifting the equilibrium toward the right when added to saturated sodium chloride is that it dissolves some of the sodium and chloride ions, reducing their concentration in the aqueous phase. As a result, the equilibrium shifts to produce more sodium and chloride ions to restore the balance.