Article
Article
Le Châtelier's principle
Article By:
Levine, Ira N. Department of Chemistry, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, New York.
Last reviewed:August 2020
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.375550
A description of the response of a system in equilibrium to a change in one of the variables determining the equilibrium. Le Châtelier's principle is often stated as the following: For a system in equilibrium, a change in a variable shifts the equilibrium in the direction that opposes the change in that variable. However, this statement is false, since the shift induced by a change in a variable is sometimes in the direction that augments (rather than opposes) the change in the variable. Instead of a single general statement, the response of a system in equilibrium to a change in a variable is best described by a set of particular statements. The following statements are all valid consequences of the laws of thermodynamics. See also: Chemical thermodynamics
The content above is only an excerpt.
About AccessScience
AccessScience provides the most accurate and trustworthy scientific information available.
Recognized as an award-winning gateway to scientific knowledge, AccessScience is an amazing online resource that contains high-quality reference material written specifically for students. Contributors include more than 10,000 highly qualified scientists and 46 Nobel Prize winners.
MORE THAN 8700 articles covering all major scientific disciplines and encompassing the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology and McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science & Technology
115,000-PLUS definitions from the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms
3000 biographies of notable scientific figures
MORE THAN 19,000 downloadable images and animations illustrating key topics
ENGAGING VIDEOS highlighting the life and work of award-winning scientists
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY and additional readings to guide students to deeper understanding and research
LINKS TO CITABLE LITERATURE help students expand their knowledge using primary sources of information
