To determine what will happen to the chemical equilibrium when HCl is added to the system, let's break down the effects step-by-step:
1. Understand the Chemical Equilibrium:
The given equilibrium equation is:
[tex]\[
H_2SO_4 (aq) \Leftrightarrow 2 H^+ (aq) + SO_4^{2-} (aq)
\][/tex]
In this equilibrium, sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) dissociates into hydrogen ions (H⁺) and sulfate ions (SO₄²⁻).
2. Effect of Adding HCl:
- HCl is a strong acid and dissociates completely in water into H⁺ ions and Cl⁻ ions:
[tex]\[
HCl (aq) \rightarrow H^+ (aq) + Cl^- (aq)
\][/tex]
- Adding HCl to the solution increases the concentration of H⁺ ions.
3. Le Chatelier's Principle:
According to Le Chatelier's Principle, if a system at equilibrium is subjected to a change in concentration, temperature, volume, or pressure, the system will adjust itself to partially counteract the effect of the change and a new equilibrium will be established.
- In this case, by adding HCl, you are increasing the concentration of H⁺ ions in the solution.
4. Shift in Equilibrium:
- With the increase in H⁺ ion concentration, the equilibrium will shift to counteract this change.
- The system will shift to decrease the concentration of H⁺ ions.
- This means the equilibrium will shift towards the production of more H₂SO₄, moving the reaction to the left.
Therefore, the chemical equilibrium will shift to the left when HCl is added to the system. The correct answer is:
- The chemical equilibrium will shift to the left.
