Which of the following changes would shift the reaction shown here to the right (product side)? 4HCl (g) + O2(g) < = > 2Cl2 (g) + 2 H2O (g)
addition of Cl2***
decrease of pressure
increase of pressure
removal of O2
Increasing pressure shifts to the lower molar volume side ...
Reactant Side has 5 molar volumes of gas and the product side has 4 molar volumes of gas. Increasing pressure would shift reaction to the 4 molar volume side; that is, shifts rxn right.
To determine which changes would shift the reaction to the right (towards the product side), we need to consider Le Chatelier's principle. This principle states that if a chemical system at equilibrium is subjected to a change, the system will adjust its position to counteract the change and reestablish equilibrium.
Now, let's analyze each of the given options:
1. **Addition of Cl2:** Since Cl2 is a product in the forward reaction, adding more Cl2 would not shift the equilibrium to the right. According to Le Chatelier's principle, increasing the concentration of a product would actually shift the equilibrium to the left (towards the reactant side) to counteract the increase.
2. **Decrease of pressure:** The reaction only involves gases, so changing the pressure will affect the equilibrium. According to Le Chatelier's principle, when the pressure is decreased, the system will shift towards the side with more moles of gas to counteract the change. In this case, the product side (2Cl2 + 2H2O) has a total of 6 moles of gas, while the reactant side (4HCl + O2) has a total of 5 moles of gas. Therefore, decreasing the pressure would shift the equilibrium to the left (towards the reactant side).
3. **Increase of pressure:** Similarly to the previous option, increasing the pressure would shift the equilibrium to the side with fewer moles of gas to counteract the change. As mentioned before, the reactant side has 5 moles of gas, while the product side has 6 moles of gas. Therefore, increasing the pressure would shift the equilibrium to the right (towards the product side).
4. **Removal of O2:** Removing O2, which is a reactant in the forward reaction, would decrease the concentration of reactants. According to Le Chatelier's principle, the equilibrium will shift in the direction that replenishes the removed substance. Therefore, removing O2 would shift the equilibrium to the left (towards the reactant side).
In summary, the options that would shift the reaction to the right (product side) are the **increase of pressure** and the **removal of O2**.