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For the reaction below, which of the following would result from increasing the temperature of the environment? A + B ⇌ C + Heat

  • A. The concentrations of A and B would increase, and the concentration of C would decrease.
  • B. The reaction would remain at equilibrium, and there would be no change in the concentrations of A, B, or C.
  • C. The concentrations of A and B would decrease, and the concentration of C would remain the same.
  • D. The concentrations of A, B, and C would all increase.
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Increasing the temperature shifts the equilibrium of an exothermic reaction (such as this one) to favor the reactants (A and B), causing their concentrations to increase and the concentration of the product (C) to decrease. This is due to Le Chatelier's principle, which states that if a system at equilibrium is disturbed, the system will adjust to counteract the disturbance. In this case, by increasing the temperature, the system will shift the equilibrium position in the endothermic direction to absorb the excess heat. As a result, more reactants (A and B) will be produced, leading to an increase in their concentrations, while the concentration of the product (C) will decrease to counteract the temperature increase.