The following system is at equilibrium:
Which of the following will cause the reaction to move to the left?
a. addition of NH4Cl(s)
b. removal of NH4Cl(s)
c. removal of NH3(g)
d. addition of HCl(g)
e. both answers b and d are correct
The reaction we have is as follows:
NH4Cl<==> NH3 + HCl
If we can recall "Le Chatelier's Principle" states that if a certain pressure is exerted on a system the system will act as to relieve that pressure.
Case a. If we add NH4Cl to the system it means we have exerted a pressure on the right side of the equation and consequently the system will shift to the left to release ...
This solution describes in 304 words Le Chatelier's principle and how this relates to each of the 4 possible answers by using them as case studies to demonstrate what would happen in the reaction. Finally, it answers the question of which addition/removal would cause the reaction to move left.