Answer:
The rate of the forward reaction will increase, collisions will increase.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Le Chatelier's principle, if a system at equilibrium is subjected to a change in conditions, the system will shift in a direction that counteracts the change. In this case, if the system at equilibrium is subjected to a decrease in pressure, it will shift in a direction that increases the total number of moles of gas to counteract the decrease in pressure.
In the given chemical equation, the forward reaction involves the conversion of one mole of N2O4 (a gas) into two moles of NO2 (also gases), while the reverse reaction involves the conversion of two moles of NO2 into one mole of N2O4. Therefore, increasing the number of moles of gas favors the forward reaction, while decreasing the number of moles of gas favors the reverse reaction.
Since a decrease in pressure will decrease the total number of moles of gas in the system, the system will shift in a direction that increases the total number of moles of gas. Therefore, the equilibrium will shift towards the side with more moles of gas, which is the forward reaction.
As a result, the rate of the forward reaction will increase and the rate of the reverse reaction will decrease. However, the collisions between the gas molecules will increase due to the shift towards the forward reaction, as there are more gas molecules in the system.
Therefore, the correct answer is: The rate of the forward reaction will increase, collisions will increase.