Which condition did you change?
Labs / Chemistry
Le Chatelier
Two kinds of particles, A and B, keep flipping back and forth. Forward and reverse reactions race until the concentrations settle into a steady balance. Then poke the system — add more A, add more B, or turn up the heat — and watch it rearrange itself to relieve the stress you applied.
Labs / Chemistry / Le Chatelier
Le Chatelier
Two kinds of particles, A and B, keep flipping back and forth. Forward and reverse reactions race until the concentrations settle into a steady balance. Then poke the system — add more A, add more B, or turn up the heat — and watch it rearrange itself to relieve the stress you applied.
Why it matters
Why explore this?
Chemistry connects events too small to see with changes we can measure. This model helps you link particles, energy, and conditions to an observable result.
Explore
Try the model
[A] 0[B] 0[B]/[A] 0
Investigate
Questions to test
Predict first, try it in the model, then use what you observe to answer.
What to try
- Let it settle, then hit “Add A”. Where do all those extra A particles end up — and why doesn't [A] just stay high?
- The dashed line is where each concentration “wants” to be. What happens to it the instant you switch from Cold to Hot?
- Uncheck “Forward absorbs heat” and heat the flask again. Why does warming now push the balance the opposite way?
- Slide the Rate down low. Does a slow reaction reach a different balance, or just take longer to get there?
- Add a big slug of B, then watch the ratio [B]/[A]. Does it return to the same number it had before?
Explain
Make sense of what happened
Describe what happened at the particle or energy level, then connect it to the result you saw. A strong explanation names both the cause and the evidence.
Check
Before you leave
What happened to the particles or energy?
What observation supports your explanation?
If you can answer all three using evidence from the model, you understand the main idea. If not, return to Explore and change one setting at a time.