In an exothermic reaction, heat is released as a product. According to Le Chatelier’s Principle, if a system at equilibrium is subjected to a change in temperature, pressure, or concentration, the system will adjust itself to counteract the effect of the change and restore a new equilibrium.
When heat is added to an exothermic reaction, the system will shift the equilibrium to the left, favoring the reactants. This is because the system tries to absorb the added heat by converting some of the products back into reactants, thereby reducing the amount of heat in the system.
Conversely, when heat is removed from an exothermic reaction, the system will shift the equilibrium to the right, favoring the products. The system responds by producing more products to release additional heat, compensating for the heat that was removed.
In summary:
- Adding heat: Shifts the equilibrium to the left (towards reactants).
- Removing heat: Shifts the equilibrium to the right (towards products).