How can equilibrium be shifted to favor product formation?

Equilibrium can be shifted to favour product formation by changing concentration, pressure, or temperature.

In a chemical reaction, the position of equilibrium can be shifted to favour the formation of products by manipulating three main factors: the concentration of reactants or products, the pressure (in reactions involving gases), and the temperature. This is based on Le Chatelier's Principle, which states that if a dynamic equilibrium is disturbed by changing the conditions, the position of equilibrium moves to counteract the change.

Firstly, increasing the concentration of reactants or decreasing the concentration of products can shift the equilibrium to the right, favouring product formation. This is because the system will try to reduce the increased concentration by using up the reactants to form more products. Conversely, if the concentration of products is increased, the equilibrium will shift to the left to consume the excess products, thus reducing product formation.

Secondly, in reactions involving gases, changing the pressure can also affect the position of equilibrium. If the pressure is increased, the equilibrium will shift towards the side with fewer gas molecules to reduce the pressure. Therefore, if the reaction produces fewer gas molecules than it consumes, increasing the pressure will favour product formation.

Lastly, changing the temperature can also shift the equilibrium. If the reaction is exothermic (releases heat), increasing the temperature will shift the equilibrium to the left, favouring the reactants. However, if the reaction is endothermic (absorbs heat), increasing the temperature will shift the equilibrium to the right, favouring the products. Therefore, to favour product formation, the temperature should be increased for endothermic reactions and decreased for exothermic reactions.

In conclusion, understanding how to manipulate these factors can be very useful in industrial processes, where it is often desirable to maximise product yield.