Can you explain in terms of Le Chatelier's principle why the concentration of NH3 decreases when the temperature of the equilibrium system increases?
When you increase the temperature by adding heat, the system responds by trying to remove the heat.
The synthesis of ammonia is an exothermic process:
N₂(g) + 3H₂(g) ⇌ 2NH₃(g);
Heat is a "product" of the reaction.
Le Châtelier's Principle states that when a stress is applied to a system at equilibrium, the system will respond in such a way that it relieves the stress.
See What is Le Chatelier's principle?.
So if you add heat to the system, it will respond in a way that removes the added heat.
The position of equilibrium will move to the left. So the equilibrium concentration of ammonia will decrease.
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According to Le Chatelier's principle, when the temperature of an equilibrium system is increased, the system will shift in the direction that absorbs heat. In the case of the equilibrium involving the formation of ammonia (NH3), the reaction is:
N2(g) + 3H2(g) ⇌ 2NH3(g)
This reaction is exothermic, meaning it releases heat. Therefore, when the temperature is increased, the system will shift in the direction that absorbs heat, which is the reverse reaction (the formation of N2 and H2 from NH3).
So, as the temperature increases, Le Chatelier's principle predicts that the equilibrium will shift towards the reactants (N2 and H2) to counteract the increase in temperature. As a result, the concentration of NH3 will decrease as it converts back into N2 and H2.
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When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.
When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.
When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.
When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.
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