The Effect of a Concentration Change on Equilibrium Consider the following reaction at equilibrium: [latex]CaCO_3(s) \rightleftharpoons CaO(s) + CO_2(g) [/latex] What is the effect of adding [latex]CO_2[/latex] to the reaction mixture? What is the effect of adding [latex]CaCO_3?[/latex]

Adding [latex]CO_2[/latex] increases the concentration of [latex]CO_2[/latex] and causes the reaction to shift to the left. Adding additional [latex]CaCO_3[/latex], however, does not increase the concentration of [latex]CaCO_3[/latex] because [latex]CaCO_3[/latex] is a solid and therefore has a constant concentration. Thus, adding [latex]CaCO_3[/latex] has no effect on the position of the equilibrium. (Note that, as we saw in Section 15.5, solids are not included in the equilibrium expression.)

Question 15.14: The Effect of a Concentration Change on Equilibrium Consider...

Chemistry: Structure and Properties; Mastering Chemistry

The Effect of a Concentration Change on Equilibrium
Consider the following reaction at equilibrium:

$CaCO_3(s) \rightleftharpoons CaO(s) + CO_2(g)$

What is the effect of adding $CO_2$ to the reaction mixture? What is the effect of adding $CaCO_3?$

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