In the atmosphere, oxygen converts sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide: Which of the following will
cause the equilibrium to shift to the right?
2 SO2 (g) + O2 (g) --> 2 SO3 (g) + heat
a. [SO3] decreases
b. [SO2] increases
c. temperature decreases
d. pressure increases
e. all the above
The equilibrium will shift to the right if any of the following conditions occur:
- [SO3] decreases: According to Le Chatelier's principle, if the concentration of a product decreases, the equilibrium will shift to the side with more products in order to restore equilibrium. In this case, a decrease in [SO3] will cause the equilibrium to shift towards the formation of more SO3.
- [SO2] increases: Similarly, an increase in the concentration of one of the reactants (SO2) will result in the equilibrium shifting to the right to use up the excess reactant.
- Temperature decreases: According to Le Chatelier's principle, if the temperature decreases, the equilibrium will shift in the exothermic direction, which in this case is towards the formation of more SO3.
- Pressure increases: Increasing the pressure will favor the side of the reaction with fewer moles of gas. In this case, the reaction produces fewer moles of gas (2 SO2 + O2) compared to the reactants. Therefore, increasing the pressure will shift the equilibrium toward the formation of more SO3.
Therefore, the correct answer is e. all of the above.