For a reversible chemical reaction
, the equilibrium constant is given by
, where [
] represents the concentration of the reactant or product
in moles/liter (M). The law of mass action states that adding reactant
, or removing product
, will shift the equilibrium to the right (in the forward direction, as written). Conversely, removing
, or adding
, will shift the equilibrium to the left. For purposes of visualization, imagine that
are immiscible red, green, and blue liquids, respectively. You can vary the equilibrium constant on a logarithmic scale between =10-4
using the last slider. You can vary the initial concentrations
to observe the effect on the equilibrium concentrations.
The law of mass action is one example of Le Chatelier's principle, that the equilibrium in a chemical system responds to a change in concentration, temperature, or pressure by shifting in the direction which partially counteracts the imposed perturbation. Thus if the reaction considered were exothermic, such that heat could formally be regarded as one of the products, an increase in temperature would shift the equilibrium to the left. If A, B and C were gases, an increase in total pressure would shift the equilibrium to the right.