What is Le Chatelier's principle?
In chemistry, Le Chatelier's principle, also called Chatelier's principle or "The Equilibrium Law", can be used to predict the effect of a change in conditions on a chemical equilibrium.
The principle is named after Henry Louis Le Chatelier and sometimes Karl Ferdinand Braun who discovered it independently. It can be stated as:
If a chemical system at equilibrium experiences a change in concentration, temperature, volume, or pressure, then the equilibrium shifts to counteract the imposed change and a new equilibrium is established.
Why is Le Chatelier's principle important?
Le Chatelier's Principle is important, because it allows us to shift an equilibrium to the side that we would like to favor. For example the Haber Process produces ammonia reversibly.
N2(g)+3H2(g)→2NH3(g)
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The reaction is run at high pressures, because there are 2 moles of ammonia on the product side, but 4 moles of gas on the reactant side (3 mol of hydrogen and 1 mol of nitrogen). Since 2 mol of gas occupies a smaller volume than 4, increasing the pressure will increase the amount of ammonia at equilibrium.
Interestingly, high temperatures favors the reactant side, but the reaction will reach equilibrium faster at higher temperatures, which is why the reaction is carried out at a moderately high temperature.