Adding an Inert Gas

[Sara Lakamsani 4D]

Will adding an inert gas cause a shift if it increases the overall pressure of the system? I mean, will it cause the reaction to shift towards the side that has less molecules or moles if there is one?

[Sean_Rodriguez_1J]

Adding an inert gas will not shift the equilibrium because what we are really seeing occur in these problems with increasing pressure is (usually) a change in the concentration (defined by C=n/v). The volume does not change when an inert gas is pumped into the system, and therefore the concentration stay the same and no shift occurs.

[Ryan Danis 1J]

No, because an inert gas is not a part of the chemical equation used to find K, so K does not change when an inert gas is added.

[Gillian Ward 1F]

Inert gases do not cause any shift in the system

[Roberto Gonzalez 1L]

Adding an Inert gas does not actually cause the system to shift to either side as it does not take part in the chemical reaction.