Consider the reaction: \( \mathrm{A + 2B(g) \rightleftharpoons 2C + D(g)} \) (\( \Delta H = +\mathrm{ve} \)) What will be the effect of decrease in temperat...

Answer Details

The effect of a decrease in temperature on the reaction will be that the rate of the backward reaction will increase. In a chemical reaction, the rate of the forward and backward reactions are determined by the activation energy required for each step and the temperature of the system. When the temperature is decreased, the rate of the reaction decreases, and the rate of the backward reaction increases. This shift in the rate of the backward reaction means that there will be a shift in the position of the equilibrium of the reaction. As the rate of the backward reaction increases, the concentration of the reactants will increase and the concentration of the products will decrease, leading to a decrease in the overall yield of the products. In this reaction, as ΔH (the change in enthalpy) is positive, which means that the reaction is endothermic. Endothermic reactions absorb heat from the surroundings to proceed, so a decrease in temperature will lead to a decrease in the rate of the forward reaction and an increase in the rate of the backward reaction. This shift in the rate of the backward reaction will shift the position of the equilibrium of the reaction to the left, leading to an increase in the concentration of the reactants and a decrease in the concentration of the products.