Consider the following reversible reaction at equilibrium: C6H12O6 (aq) + 6 O2(g) ⇌ 6 CO2(g) + 6 H2O(l). Given that this reaction is exothermic, if heat is added to the equilibrium system, how is the stress relieved?
If heat is added to the equilibrium system for an exothermic reaction, the system will shift towards the reactants to relieve the stress. This is because adding heat is essentially like adding more "product" to the system, so the reaction will shift in the direction that consumes heat, or towards the reactants. This shift will help to restore the equilibrium and lower the temperature back to the original value.
