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Concentration and temperature can affect chemical equilibria by shifting the position of the equilibrium.
Concentration and temperature are two factors that can affect the position of a chemical equilibrium. The concentration of reactants and products can affect the equilibrium position by changing the ratio of reactants to products. Adding more reactants will shift the equilibrium position towards the products, while adding more products will shift it towards the reactants. This is known as Le Chatelier's principle.
Temperature can also affect the position of a chemical equilibrium. Increasing the temperature of an exothermic reaction will shift the equilibrium position towards the reactants, while increasing the temperature of an endothermic reaction will shift it towards the products. This is because the equilibrium constant is dependent on the temperature, and a change in temperature will affect the rate of the forward and reverse reactions.
For example, consider the equilibrium between nitrogen dioxide and dinitrogen tetroxide:
2NO2(g) ⇌ N2O4(g)
If the concentration of NO2 is increased, the equilibrium position will shift towards the products (N2O4). If the temperature is increased, the equilibrium position will shift towards the reactants (NO2). Understanding the effect of concentration and temperature on chemical equilibria is important in predicting the outcome of chemical reactions and designing chemical processes.
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