In which direction will the point of equilibrium shift when the volume of the reaction vessel decreases in the following equilibrium? 2 SO₃ (g) 2 SO₂ (g)+ O₂ (g)

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Le Chatelier's principle, when the volume of the reaction vessel decreases, the system will try to counteract the effect of the change by shifting in the direction that will result in fewer moles of gas. Since there are three moles of gas on the left side and only three moles of gas on the right side, there is no change in the number of moles of gas, therefore there will be no shift in the position of equilibrium with regard to the moles of gas. However, the reaction will shift to the side where the number of gas molecules is lower. So, the system will shift to the left to decrease the number of molecules of gas and to occupy less volume.

In Which Direction Will the Point of Equilibrium Shift When