Consider the chemical reaction in equilibrium:
[tex]$H_2+I_2+\text { heat } \Leftrightarrow 2 HI$[/tex]
What will happen to the chemical equilibrium if the temperature of the system is increased?
A. The direction of the chemical equilibrium will shift to the right, favoring the forward reaction.
B. The chemical equilibrium will not be affected by an increase in temperature.
C. The direction of the chemical equilibrium will shift to the left, favoring the reverse reaction.
D. The chemical equilibrium will be lost permanently with a change of temperature.
Answer (1)
The forward reaction is endothermic.
Increasing the temperature favors the forward reaction.
The equilibrium shifts to the right.
The direction of the chemical equilibrium will shift to the right, favoring the forward reaction.
Explanation
Understanding the Problem The given chemical reaction is in equilibrium: H 2 + I 2 + heat ⇔ 2 H I We are asked to determine what happens to the chemical equilibrium if the temperature of the system is increased.
Identifying the Reaction Type The reaction shows that heat is absorbed as a reactant in the forward reaction. This means the forward reaction ( H 2 + I 2 → 2 H I ) is endothermic.
Applying Le Chatelier's Principle Le Chatelier's principle states that if a change of condition (like temperature) is applied to a system in equilibrium, the system will shift in a direction that relieves the stress. In this case, the stress is the increase in temperature.
Determining the Shift in Equilibrium Since the forward reaction is endothermic, increasing the temperature will favor the forward reaction to consume the added heat. This means the equilibrium will shift to the right, favoring the formation of 2 H I .
Conclusion Therefore, the direction of the chemical equilibrium will shift to the right, favoring the forward reaction.
Examples
Consider a scenario where you're baking a cake. If the oven temperature is too low (akin to insufficient 'heat' in a chemical reaction), the cake won't rise properly (less product formation). Increasing the oven temperature (adding 'heat') encourages the cake to bake faster and rise higher (more product formation). This illustrates how adjusting 'heat' (temperature) can shift the outcome of a process, much like shifting a chemical equilibrium to favor product formation.
