At a constant temperature the concentration of a reactant is increased at equilibrium, the equilibrium constant

Correct answer: B. Remains unaffected

  • A. Increases
  • B. Remains unaffected
  • C. Decreases
  • D. First increases and then decrease

Explanation

Option B is correct.The equilibrium constant will remain unaffected at constant temperature. The equilibrium constant is a measure of the relative rates of the forward and backward reactions at equilibrium. It is a constant for a particular reaction at a given temperature and is not affected by the initial concentrations of the reactants and products. When the concentration of a reactant is increased, the reaction will shift to the right to produce more products. However, the equilibrium constant will remain the same. This is because the equilibrium constant is a measure of the relative rates of the forward and backward reactions, not the concentrations of the reactants and products. For example, consider the reaction: A + B <=> C + D If we increase the concentration of A, the reaction will shift to the right to produce more C and D. However, the equilibrium constant, K, will remain the same. This is because the equilibrium constant is a measure of the relative rates of the forward and backward reactions. The rate of the forward reaction will increase when the concentration of A is increased, but the rate of the backward reaction will also increase. The equilibrium constant is a measure of the ratio of these two rates, and it will not change when the concentration of A is increased.

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About Chemical Equilibrium

Reversible reactions reach dynamic equilibrium when forward and reverse rates become equal, and Le Chatelier's principle predicts the effect of changing concentration, pressure or temperature. The chapter also covers solubility product, the common ion effect, buffer action and the conditions used in Haber's process, with equilibrium shifts distinguished from changes in the equilibrium constant.

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