Which way will equilibrium shift if the temperature increases?

Answer 1

The direction in which an equilibrium will shift with a change in temperature depends on whether the reaction is exothermic or endothermic.

Generally, if the reaction is exothermic, an increase in temperature will cause the equilibrium to shift in the direction that produces a decrease in heat. This means that the equilibrium will shift towards the reactants side, as the forward reaction is exothermic and produces heat.

Conversely, if the reaction is endothermic, an increase in temperature will cause the equilibrium to shift in the direction that produces an increase in heat. This means that the equilibrium will shift towards the products side, as the forward reaction is endothermic and requires heat.

To summarize, the equilibrium will shift towards the reactants side for exothermic reactions and towards the products side for endothermic reactions, when the temperature is increased.