Question

For the exothermic reaction below, if heat is added to the system, what will happen to the equilibrium H₂(g) + Cl₂(g) ⇌ 2HCl(g)?

Answer 1

Adding heat to the system will shift the equilibrium of the exothermic reaction H₂(g) + Cl₂(g) ⇌ 2HCl(g) to the left, increasing the concentrations of H₂ and Cl₂ and decreasing the concentration of HCl.

Step-by-step explanation:

In an exothermic reaction, if heat is added to the system, the equilibrium will shift in favor of the reactants. Therefore, for the reaction H₂(g) + Cl₂(g) ⇌ 2HCl(g), if heat is added, the reaction will shift to the left, resulting in an increase in the concentrations of H₂ and Cl₂ and a decrease in the concentration of HCl at equilibrium.