7.9 Introduction to Le Châtelier’s Principle

Le Chȃtlier’s Principle

A reaction will always tend toward equilibrium. This means that when the conditions of the environment for a reaction change when the reaction is already at equilibrium, the reaction will shift either to the left or to the right in order to reestablish equilibrium. This is the basic idea of Le Chȃtlier’s Principle. We use it to predict which way a reaction will shift in response to a variety of stresses that may occur to the system.