Question

Given the following reaction what will happen if more NOBr is added after it is at equilibrium?

2 NO(g) + Br₂(g)+2 NOBr(g)
A. The reaction will shift to the left
B. The reaction will shift to the right
C. The reaction will not change
D. The catalyst will decompose

Answer 1

Adding more NOBr to the system at equilibrium will cause the reaction to shift to the left to counteract the stress by producing more reactants NO and Br2. The correct answer is option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

When more NOBr is added to the system 2 NO(g) + Br₂(g) ⇌ 2 NOBr(g) at equilibrium, the reaction will shift to the left, according to Le Chatelier's Principle. This principle states that if a stress is applied to a system at equilibrium, the system will adjust to counteract the stress.

In this case, adding more product (NOBr) would increase the concentration of the product, and the system would shift towards the reactants (NO and Br₂) in an attempt to reduce the added NOBr and re-establish equilibrium.

Similarly, for the reaction N₂(g) + O₂(g) = 2 NO(g), if more O₂ is introduced, the reaction would shift to the right to produce more NO and reduce the concentration of the added O₂, thus shifting towards the products.