What effect does raising the temperature of the reaction chamber at a constant pressure have on the following reaction at equilibrium?
2NO2(g) N2O4(g) + heat
A. The equilibrium shifts toward the reactants because the reverse reaction is endothermic.
B. The concentration of NO2 increases because there are more moles of reactants.
C. The products are favored because more heat is produced.
D. There is no change to the system because the pressure is constant.
the reaction will try to undo the increase in heat, and favor the endothermic direction: A)
A. The equilibrium shifts toward the reactants because the reverse reaction is endothermic.
The correct answer is A. The equilibrium shifts toward the reactants because the reverse reaction is endothermic.
When the temperature of a reaction at equilibrium is increased, the reaction will shift in the direction that absorbs heat. In this reaction, the forward reaction is exothermic (heat is released), while the reverse reaction is endothermic (heat is absorbed). Increasing the temperature will favor the reaction that absorbs heat, which is the reverse reaction. Therefore, the equilibrium will shift toward the reactants (NO2) in order to absorb the excess heat.
To determine the effect of raising the temperature of the reaction chamber on the equilibrium of the given reaction, we need to analyze the reaction and understand how it responds to changes in temperature.
The given reaction is exothermic, as indicated by the "heat" term on the product side of the equation. This means that the forward reaction releases heat, while the reverse reaction absorbs heat.
According to Le Chatelier's principle, when a system at equilibrium is subjected to a change in temperature, it will respond in a way that partially counteracts the change. In other words, the equilibrium will shift in a direction that helps restore the original temperature.
In the case of an exothermic reaction like the one given, increasing the temperature would cause the equilibrium to shift in the direction that consumes heat, which is the reverse reaction. Therefore, more NO2(g) would be consumed, and more N2O4(g) would be produced. This means that the concentration of NO2(g) would decrease, favoring the products.
Based on this analysis, the correct answer is:
A. The equilibrium shifts toward the reactants because the reverse reaction is endothermic.