Adding Inert Gases

[Hannah_Kim_1I]

Dr. Lavelle mentioned that increasing pressure by adding inert gases into a reaction would have no effect on the reaction. Is it because although the overall pressure of the container may change, the actual partial pressures of the reactants/products remain the same? I just wanted to make sure my reasoning was correct.

[Madilyn Schindler 3E]

Yes, you're correct. Adding inert gases doesn't affect the reaction because the partial pressures of the reactants and products remain the same.

[Edward Tang 1k]

Correct. With pv=nRT we know that the only things that would change the partial pressure of a gas are if its number of moles change or the volume changes, given that temperature is constant. Adding an inert gas does neither of those things, therefore it only changes the total pressure but not the partial pressure.

[manisha_joseph_1H]

Yes, that is correct. Adding an inert gas into a reaction does not change the moles of the products and reactants or the volume encompassed by the container. As such, the concentration of products to reactants does not change, meaning there will be no affect on the reaction and K will remain the same.