BRAINCAKEChanging Pressure
Changing the pressure only affects the position of an equilibrium involving gases, and only when there are different numbers of moles of gas on each side of the equation.
By Le Chatelier's principle, if the pressure is increased the position of equilibrium shifts towards the side with fewer moles of gas. This reduces the number of gas molecules and so opposes the increase in pressure. If the pressure is decreased, the equilibrium shifts towards the side with more moles of gas.
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Key terms in this lesson
- Mole
- The amount of substance that contains as many particles as there are atoms in exactly 12g of carbon-12.
More in Equilibria
- Dynamic Equilibrium
- Chemical Equilibria
- Le Chatelier's Principle
- Changing Concentrations
- Changing Temperature
- Catalysts
- Equilibrium Reactions in Industry
- Ammonia
All 20 lessons in Equilibria · All AQA AS-level Chemistry topics