Topic: Le Chatelier's Principle

This episode covers Le Chatelier's Principle, explaining how a chemical system at equilibrium will always shift its position to counteract and undo an external "stress." It explores three primary stressors: concentration changes, where the system shifts away from what is added and toward what is removed; pressure or volume changes, which force a shift toward the side with fewer gas moles when pressure increases (and vice versa); and temperature changes, which treat heat as a reactant or product depending on whether the reaction is endothermic or exothermic. Crucially, the episode highlight that while concentration and pressure shifts occur to keep the equilibrium constant (K) the same, temperature is the only stressor that actually changes the value of K. Finally, it points out that adding a catalyst or an inert gas has no effect on the equilibrium position, concluding that when analyzing these systems, the chemical balance always votes to restore order.