Explain Le Chatelier's Principle.

Test for the ABC Class 1 Physical/Chemical Operator Exam with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Enhance your knowledge and ensure you're exam-ready!

Le Chatelier's Principle is a fundamental concept in chemistry that describes how a system at equilibrium responds to external changes. When a change is imposed on a system in equilibrium—such as altering the concentration of reactants or products, changing the temperature, or adjusting the pressure—the system will adjust to counteract that change and restore a new equilibrium state.

In the context of this principle, "shifts against imposed changes" means that if the system is subjected to stress, the equilibrium will shift in a direction that opposes the stress. For instance, if the concentration of a reactant is increased, the equilibrium will shift to produce more products in order to reduce the concentration of that reactant. Similarly, if the temperature is raised in an exothermic reaction, the equilibrium will shift to favor the endothermic direction to absorb the added heat.

This principle is essential for predicting the behavior of chemical reactions under various conditions, making it a key concept for understanding dynamic systems in physical and chemical processes.

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