Question

Can anyone explain Le Chatelier's principal? How you know when it shifts to the products and reactants? Such as in

3O2(g) --><-- 2O3(G)
2CO2(g) --><-- 2CO(g) + O2

Thanks!!

Answer 1

The short way of explaining it is "the reaction will shift so as to UNDO what is being done to it."
For example,
A + B + heat ===> C
If you heat this reaction (add heat), it will UNDO the added heat. How can it do that? By shifting to the right because that uses up the heat.
Add A and it shifts to the right because that uses A. Add B and it shifts to the right because that uses B. Add C and it shifts to the left because that uses C. If A, B, and C are gases, then add pressure and it shifts to the side with FEWER moles. There are two moles gas on the left; only one one the right, so adding pressure makes it go to the right.

Answer 2

Okay so for example

P4(g) + 5O2(g) <==> P4O10(s)
that would go to the right?