Question

What will shift the reaction agcl(s) + 2nh3(aq) ⇌ ag(nh3)2 (aq) + cl-(aq) to the left?

1) Decreasing the concentration of ag(nh3)2 (aq)
2) Increasing the concentration of cl-(aq)
3) Increasing the concentration of agcl(s)
4) Decreasing the concentration of nh3(aq)

Answer 1

To shift the reaction AgCl(s) + 2NH3(aq) ⇌ Ag(NH3)2+(aq) + Cl-(aq) to the left, increasing the concentration of Cl-(aq) will be most effective, as the system responds to the added product by favoring the formation of more reactants.

Step-by-step explanation:

To understand what will shift the reaction AgCl(s) + 2NH3(aq) ⇌ Ag(NH3)2+(aq) + Cl-(aq) to the left, we must apply Le Chatelier's Principle, which predicts that a system will respond to a stress in a way that counteracts the stress. Here are the options examined:

• Decreasing the concentration of Ag(NH3)2+(aq) will shift the equilibrium to the left because the system will try to replace the removed product.
• Increasing the concentration of Cl-(aq) shifts the equilibrium to the left as the system will react to the added product by favoring the reverse reaction, forming more solid AgCl and releasing NH3(aq).
• Increasing the concentration of AgCl(s) doesn't shift the equilibrium much as solids do not affect the equilibrium positions in the same way gases and solutions do, because their concentration is constant.
• Decreasing the concentration of NH3(aq) shifts the equilibrium to the right as the system will try to produce more NH3(aq) by moving towards the product side.

Therefore, to shift the reaction to the left, increasing the concentration of Cl-(aq) is most effective.