Le Chatelier's Principle
Le Chatelier's principle describes how a system at equilibrium responds to changes in conditions such as pressure, temperature, or concentration.
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The statement of the theorem
Consider a system at equilibrium, defined by the reaction quotient and the equilibrium constant : . If a change in external conditions (concentration , pressure , or temperature ) is applied, the system shifts to restore equilibrium. For a change in concentration, let be the change in concentration of a species. The system adjusts such that the rate of reaction changes to maintain the equilibrium condition: . For temperature changes, the dependence of on is governed by the van't Hoff equation: .