If you INCREASE the pressure with the following equation (assume all are gases)
A + B --> AB.
Which direction will the equilibrium shift to restore balance?
If you increase the pressure, the equilibrium will shift in the direction which has fewer moles of gas. In this case, when A and B combine to form AB, the moles of gas decreases. Therefore, the equilibrium will shift towards the product AB to balance the pressure.
When the pressure is increased in a reaction involving gases, the equilibrium will shift in the direction that produces fewer moles of gas. This is known as Le Chatelier's principle.
In the given equation A + B → AB, the reaction involves two moles of gas on the left side (A + B) and one mole of gas on the right side (AB).
So, to restore balance when the pressure is increased, the equilibrium will shift to the side with fewer moles of gas. In this case, the equilibrium will shift to the left side (A + B) to decrease the total number of gas molecules and thereby reduce the pressure.
To determine the direction in which the equilibrium will shift when the pressure is increased, you need to consider the stoichiometry of the reaction. The equation you provided:
A + B --> AB
indicates a combination reaction where A and B react to form AB.
When the pressure is increased, the system will shift in the direction that reduces the number of moles of gas molecules to alleviate the increased pressure. This is known as Le Chatelier's principle.
To analyze the change in the number of gas molecules, we need to determine the balanced equation and the stoichiometric coefficients. Assuming A and B are both gases, they can be represented as individual molecules:
A + B --> AB (1:1 stoichiometry)
In this case, the number of gas molecules remains the same before and after the reaction (2 moles of gas on the reactant side and 1 mole on the product side).
Therefore, increasing the pressure will not shift the equilibrium in a particular direction, as there is no change in the number of moles of gas molecules in this particular reaction.
It's important to note that while increasing pressure doesn't affect the equilibrium for this specific reaction, this is not always the case. Changes in pressure can affect the equilibrium position when there is a difference in the number of moles of gas molecules on either side of the balanced equation.