Le Chatelier's principle
- noun
- /lə ˈʃætəˌljeɪz ˈprɪnsəpəl/
- Specialized
:
principio de Le Chatelier
- The pressure dependence can be explained with Le Chatelier's principle.
Examples
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We know how Le Chatelier's principle applies to basic chemical systems when a single variable such as temperature, pressure, or concentrations changes.
Blog text (16) -
According to Le Chatelier's principle, when a reactant is added to a system at equilibrium, the system will shift to consume some of that reactant.
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So according to Le Chatelier's principle, an increase in pressure results in melting the ice and decreases the sample's volume.
Academic text (2005) -
We know how Le Chatelier's principle applies to basic chemical systems when a single variable such as temperature, pressure, or concentrations changes.
Synonyms
A rule that says a balanced chemical system shifts to undo a change and move back toward balance
When a balanced chemical system faces a change, it shifts to partly undo the change
A rule saying a balanced system moves to reduce a change and reach a new balance
Surface Forms
Morphology
Le + Chatelier's + principle
This is a named scientific law: knowing 'principle' gives only a generic sense of a rule, while 'Le' and 'Chatelier's' are an article and a proper name that provide no semantic clues to the specific equilibrium‑adjusting rule. A B1 learner who knows the individual words would not be able to derive the detailed meaning without prior exposure or subject‑matter knowledge.
Etymology
Le Chatelier's principle is named after the chemist Henri Le Chatelier, who noticed that a reaction in balance will 'push back' when something disturbs it. So, when you add more of a substance, change the pressure, or change the temperature, the system shifts to try to undo that change and reach a new 'balance', which is why the principle helps predict how reactions behave.
