Le Chatelier’s principle

Le Chatelier's principle states that if a system at equilibrium is disturbed by a change in temperature, pressure, or concentration, the system will adjust itself to counteract the effect of the change and reach a new equilibrium. This principle is fundamental to understanding chemical equilibrium, where opposing reactions occur at equal rates, resulting in no net change in reactants or products.12

For example, if the concentration of a reactant increases, the system will shift to consume the excess reactant, producing more product. Similarly, an increase in pressure can cause a reaction to proceed faster to reach a new equilibrium. This principle also explains phenomena like the common ion effect, where adding an ion already present in a solution can decrease the solubility of a substance.23