What happens to a system at equilibrium when it experiences a disturbance, according to Le Chatelier's principle?

According to Le Chatelier's principle, when a system at equilibrium experiences a disturbance—such as a change in concentration, temperature, or pressure—the system will adjust in a way that counteracts that disturbance and seeks to restore a new equilibrium state. This adjustment process ensures that the effect of the change is minimized, allowing the system to reach a state of balance after the disturbance.

For example, if more reactant is added to a solution at equilibrium, the system will shift in the direction that consumes that reactant, therefore producing more products and restoring equilibrium. Conversely, if temperature increases in an exothermic reaction, the system will respond by favoring the endothermic direction to absorb some of that excess heat. This self-correcting behavior is fundamental to the concept of dynamic equilibrium in chemical reactions.

In contrast, options like remaining unchanged or shifting permanently in one direction do not accurately represent the dynamic nature of systems at equilibrium according to Le Chatelier's principle. Instead, the principle emphasizes that the system will always strive to adjust itself in response to an external disturbance.