What happens to the concentration of
SO2(g) when the total pressure on the equilibrium reaction
2 SO2(g) + O2(g) <---> 2 SO3(g) is increased (by compression)?
I thought it remained the same but that was incorrect.
Remember what I told you in the last response. Le Chatelier's Principle--with gases-- the system shifts to the side with the fewer moles of gas. There are three moles on the left and 2 on the right. Goes to the right.
but what happens to the concentration of SO2? does it decrease?
It decreases, yes. The amount of moles is the same as the concentration of the compound. It shifts to the right and causing all molecules to shift; therefore it decreases.
When the total pressure on an equilibrium reaction is increased, the system will adjust to relieve the stress and establish a new equilibrium position. To understand what happens to the concentration of SO2(g) in the reaction 2 SO2(g) + O2(g) ⇌ 2 SO3(g), we can consider Le Chatelier's principle.
According to Le Chatelier's principle, if the total pressure on the system is increased, the equilibrium position will shift in the direction that reduces the total number of moles of gas. This is because an increase in pressure causes the system to move to the side with fewer moles of gas in order to counteract the increase in pressure.
In the given equilibrium reaction, the total number of moles of gas on the left side is 3 (2 moles of SO2 + 1 mole of O2) and on the right side is 2 moles of SO3. Therefore, the left side has a higher total number of moles of gas.
When the total pressure is increased, the system will shift in the direction that reduces the total number of moles of gas. In this case, it means the equilibrium will shift to the right, favoring the formation of more SO3(g) from the reactants. As a result, the concentration of SO2(g) will decrease.
Therefore, when the total pressure on the equilibrium reaction 2SO2(g) + O2(g) ⇌ 2SO3(g) is increased, the concentration of SO2(g) decreases as the system shifts towards the products to minimize the increase in pressure.