Question

The system below was at equilibrium. The container is placed on a heating plate and warmed. What change will occur for the system?

2NO(g) + O₂(g) 2NO₂(g) + 113.06 kJ
a. The reaction will shift toward the reactants left and decrease the concentration of NO₂
b. The reaction will shift toward the reactants left and decrease the concentrations of NO and O₂
c. The reaction will shift toward the products right and increase the concentration of NO₂
d. The reaction will not change because it was already there

Answer 1

Increasing the temperature of the equilibrium system 2NO(g) + O₂(g) → 2NO₂(g) + 113.06 kJ leads to a shift toward the products and an increase in the concentration of NO₂. The correct answer is c. The reaction will shift toward the products right and increase the concentration of NO₂.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the given chemical equilibrium system 2NO(g) + O₂(g) → 2NO₂(g) + 113.06 kJ is subjected to an increase in temperature by placing it on a heating plate, according to Le Chatelier's principle, the equilibrium will shift in the direction that absorbs the added heat.

In this case, since the formation of NO₂ is endothermic (absorbs heat), as indicated by the positive enthalpy change, heating the reaction mixture will shift the equilibrium toward the products (to the right).

Thus, the correct answer is that the reaction will shift toward the products and increase the concentration of NO₂. This is due to the reaction attempting to counteract the added heat by favoring the endothermic forward reaction, which consumes heat to form more NO₂.