Using Le Chatelier's principle, what happens to the position of equilibrium for an exothermic reaction when temperature is increased?

Using Le Chatelier's principle, what happens to the position of equilibrium for an exothermic reaction when temperature is increased?

• A. It shifts toward products (right) to absorb heat.
• B. It shifts toward reactants (left) to absorb heat.
• C. It does not change.
• D. It shifts randomly.

Answer: (B)

In an exothermic reaction, heat is produced. When you raise the temperature, the system tries to counteract that change by absorbing the added heat, which means it favors the reverse (endothermic) direction. That shift moves the equilibrium toward the reactants. You can also think of the effect on the equilibrium constant: for an exothermic process, increasing temperature lowers the constant, reflecting more reactants relative to products. Shifting toward products would release more heat and wouldn’t offset the disturbance, and the system does adjust rather than staying the same or shifting randomly.

In an exothermic reaction, heat is produced. When you raise the temperature, the system tries to counteract that change by absorbing the added heat, which means it favors the reverse (endothermic) direction. That shift moves the equilibrium toward the reactants. You can also think of the effect on the equilibrium constant: for an exothermic process, increasing temperature lowers the constant, reflecting more reactants relative to products. Shifting toward products would release more heat and wouldn’t offset the disturbance, and the system does adjust rather than staying the same or shifting randomly.