The reaction 2SO2(g) + O2(g) <--> 2sO3(g) is exothermic. What will happen to the concentration of sulfur dioxide if the temperature of the system is increased?
According to Le Chatelier’s principle, increasing the temperature will shift the equilibrium in the endothermic direction in order to counteract the temperature increase. In this case, the forward reaction (which is exothermic) is the direction that will most effectively counteract the temperature increase. Therefore, the concentration of sulfur dioxide will decrease as it is being consumed to form more sulfur trioxide in order to maintain equilibrium.
To determine the effect of changing the temperature on the concentration of sulfur dioxide, we need to understand the Le Chatelier's principle. According to this principle, when a system in equilibrium is subjected to a change in temperature, pressure, or concentration, the system will adjust to counteract the change and restore equilibrium.
In the given reaction, increasing the temperature is equivalent to adding heat to the system. Since the reaction is exothermic, it releases heat when it occurs. According to Le Chatelier's principle, if we increase the temperature, the system will try to counteract this change by shifting the equilibrium in the direction that consumes heat. In other words, the reaction will proceed in the direction that removes excess heat from the system.
In this case, increasing the temperature will cause the reaction to shift in the reverse direction to consume the additional heat. The reaction is written in a way that shows the forward reaction to produce sulfur trioxide (SO3) and the reverse reaction to produce sulfur dioxide (SO2) and oxygen (O2). So, if the temperature is increased, the equilibrium will shift to the left-hand side, leading to a decrease in the concentration of sulfur dioxide.
In summary, increasing the temperature of the system will result in a decrease in the concentration of sulfur dioxide.
If the reaction 2SO2(g) + O2(g) <--> 2SO3(g) is exothermic, increasing the temperature will cause the equilibrium to shift in the reverse direction, favoring the formation of reactants. This is because according to Le Chatelier's principle, if you increase the temperature, the system will try to decrease the temperature by absorbing the excess heat. In this case, it will favor the endothermic direction of the reaction, which is the formation of sulfur dioxide and oxygen.
Therefore, as the temperature is increased, the concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO2) will increase as the reaction shifts to the left, promoting the formation of more SO2 molecules.