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Le Chatelier's Principle definitions

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  • Equilibrium
    A state where the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal, resulting in constant concentrations of reactants and products.
  • Forward Direction
    The process in which reactants are converted into products, typically indicated by a shift to the right in a chemical equation.
  • Reverse Direction
    The process in which products are converted back into reactants, typically indicated by a shift to the left in a chemical equation.
  • Reactant
    A substance present at the start of a chemical reaction that is consumed to form products.
  • Product
    A substance formed as a result of a chemical reaction, appearing on the right side of a chemical equation.
  • Pressure
    A physical parameter that, when changed, can shift the equilibrium position depending on the number of gas molecules present.
  • Volume
    A physical parameter inversely related to pressure; its change can influence the direction of equilibrium shift in gaseous systems.
  • Mole of Gas
    A quantity used to compare sides of a reaction when predicting equilibrium shifts due to pressure or volume changes.
  • Exothermic Process
    A reaction characterized by the release of heat, with heat considered a product and a negative enthalpy change.
  • Endothermic Process
    A reaction characterized by the absorption of heat, with heat considered a reactant and a positive enthalpy change.
  • Inert Gas
    A noble gas added to a reaction mixture that typically does not affect equilibrium position under constant volume.
  • Catalyst
    A substance that increases the rate of a reaction by lowering activation energy, without altering the equilibrium position.
  • Equilibrium Position
    The relative amounts of reactants and products present when a reaction is at equilibrium, which can shift due to disturbances.
  • Enthalpy
    A thermodynamic quantity, denoted as delta H, indicating heat change in a reaction and used to classify reactions as exothermic or endothermic.
  • Noble Gas
    An element from group 8A of the periodic table, often used as an inert gas in equilibrium studies.