Question

In the equilibrium system below, which of the following changes would cause the equilibrium position to shift to the right?

CO(g) + 3H2 (g)CH4 (g) + H2O (g) H = -206 kJ/mol

Answer 1

there are all sorts of ways to shift equilibrium to the right. In general, a reaction will always do one of two things in repsonse to a stress: shift AWAY from an excess, or shift TOWARDS a shortage. If you remove a product, you'll shift equilibrium right. If you add a reactant, you'll shift equilibrium right as well. In this case, the reaction is exothermic, so heat energy is included as a product. Lowering the temperature is just like removing a product, so the equilibrium will shift right in that case, also.