* Le Chatelier's Principle: This principle states that if a change of condition is applied to a system in equilibrium, the system will shift in a direction that relieves the stress. Adding reactants is a stress on the system.
* Reaction Quotient (Q): When you add reactants, you increase the concentration of reactants. This temporarily increases the reaction quotient (Q) which is a measure of the relative amounts of products and reactants present at a given time.
* Shifting Equilibrium: To re-establish equilibrium, the system must shift in a direction that reduces the reaction quotient (Q) back to the equilibrium constant (K). This is achieved by favoring the forward reaction, which consumes the added reactants and produces more products.
In summary:
* Adding reactants to a system at equilibrium will cause the equilibrium to shift to the right, favoring the forward reaction.
* This shift will continue until the system reaches a new equilibrium where the reaction quotient (Q) is once again equal to the equilibrium constant (K).
