Experiment 75

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Le Chatelier’s Principle
Problem
How do systems at equilibrium respond to changing conditions?

Introduction
Le Chatelier’s Principle describes the effect that applying various types of stress has on the
position of a system at equilibrium...that is, whether it will shift to increase or decrease the
concentration(s) of products in the equilibrium system. The Principle tells us that when a system at
equilibrium is subjected to a stress, it will shift in such a way as to relieve the effects of that stress.

Stresses include variations in the concentrations of reactants or products, the temperature of the
system, and (for reactions involving gases) the pressure. Of these, only a change in temperature
actually changes the value of the equilibrium constant.

Most of our investigations occur in open systems, usually in water solution. Unless gases are
involved in the reaction, the volume of the system is just the volume of the solution, and pressure is
of little or no consequence. This permits us to simplify Le Chatelier’s Principle to read: For any
reaction system at equilibrium in solution:

if you add a reactant or a product to the system, it will try to consume what was added; if you
remove a reactant or a product from the system, it will try to replace what was removed.

In this experiment you will observe what Le Chatelier’s Principle means. Your investigation will
deal with two complex ions, both containing cobalt(II); they are Co(H2O)62+ and CoCl42-. The
procedure is short, and should not require more than 15 minutes to complete. When you have
finished and cleaned your work area, return to your desk for the post-lab discussion, during which
we will talk about what you saw and what it signifies in terms of the reaction system being
investigated. You will need to take good notes during both the experiment and the post-lab session,
since those notes will help you answer the questions pertaining to the experiment.

Prelaboratory Assignment
! Read the Introduction and Procedure before you begin.
! Answer the Prelaboratory Questions.
1. The formula for solid cobalt(II) chloride is CoCl2.6H2O. What name do we give to
compounds which have water molecules bound to them?
2. a. Write the equation for dissolving calcium chloride in water.
b. Use Le Chatelier's Principle to predict the effect of addition solid calcium chloride to a
solution containing both of the cobalt complexes.
3. a. Write the equation for dissolving silver nitrate in water.

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 b. Write the equation for the precipitation reaction that you would expect when a
solution containing silver ions is added to a solution containing chloride ions.

Materials
Apparatus Reagents
50-mL Beaker Cobalt chloride hexahydrate, CoCl2.6H2O
Shell vials, 1 dram (5) Ethanol (or methanol)
Hot plate 12 M hydrochloric acid, HCl(aq)
Ice bath Calcium chloride pellets, CaCl2(s)
Safety goggles Acetone
Lab apron Silver nitrate solution, AgNO3(aq), 0.10M

Safety
1. Safety goggles and a lab apron must be worn in the laboratory at all times.
2. Cobalt and silver solutions are mildly toxic, so you must wash your hands thoroughly before
leaving the laboratory.
3. Silver nitrate will stain skin and clothing. Wipe up all spills with large amounts of water.
4. Concentrated hydrochloric acid will attack skin and clothing. Neutralize acid spills on laboratory
surfaces before wiping up.
5. Be careful using the hot plate. Remember that hot surfaces look the same as cool one. Use a hot
pad to transfer hot containers from the hot plate.

Procedure An asterisk (*) indicates that written observations are called for in that step.
1. Thoroughly dry your 50-ml beaker with a paper towel, then use the markings on the side to
measure about 25-30 ml of ethanol into the beaker.

2. Examine the solid cobalt(II) chloride, noting both its color and the formula for the compound, as
shown on the label of the stock bottle.*

3. Place a small sample of the solid (about the volume of two drops of water) in the beaker of
ethanol.*

4. Divide most of the solution among five flat-bottomed vials, leaving about 0.5 cm of the solution
in the beaker. The actual volume is not important, but they should all have approximately equal
volumes of solution.

5. To one of the vials, add 5 drops of distilled water, one drop at a time, recording observations
after each drop.* Duplicate the process with each of three other vials, so that all four are the
same color. Use four of the five for Step 6, retaining one as a control, for comparison purposes.*

6. a. Take one of the vials from Step 5 to the fume hood. Use the dropper provided with the acid
to CAREFULLY add 5 drops of concentrated hydrochloric acid, one drop at a time, to the
solution in the vial.*
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 b. To a second vial from Step 5, add 2 small pellets of solid calcium chloride.*
c. To the third vial, add 3-4 drops of acetone.*
d. To your fourth vial, add 10 drops of 0.1M silver nitrate, AgNO3, one drop at a time.*

7. To the solution remaining in the beaker, add just enough distilled water to get a color, about half-
way between the blue and pink shades. This solution should now have approximately equal
amounts of the two complex ions. Place the beaker on a hot plate and warm it until a color
change occurs.*

8. Finally, chill the beaker in an ice bath, to see whether the color change in Step 8 is reversible.*

Cleaning Up
1. All solutions contain cobalt and should be transferred to the assigned waste container. The
teacher will neutralize the acid (from step 6b) then dispose of the combined waste in an
approved, safe manner.
2. Make certain that all glassware is clean, bottle caps are back in place, and that all is left as you
found it.
3. Wash your hands with soap and water before leaving the laboratory.

Analysis and Conclusions

Complete the Analysis and Conclusions section for this experiment either on your Report Sheet or
in your lab report as directed by your teacher.

The net-ionic equation for the equilibrium reaction you have been investigating is
Co(H2O)62+ (aq) + 4 Cl- (aq) CoCl42- (aq) + 6 H2O (l)
pink blue
1. a. Which cobalt complex was favored by addition of water to the solution of cobalt(II) chloride
in alcohol?
b. Use Le Chatelier’s Principle to explain the color change you observed.
2. a. Which cobalt complex was favored in both 6a and 6b?
b. What ion is common to both of the reagents you used to bring about the color changes in
these two steps?
c. Use Le Chatelier’s Principle to explain why the color changes occurred in each case.
3. Acetone absorbs water. Use this fact and Le Chatelier’s Principle to explain the color change
that you saw when you added acetone to the third vial in Step 6.
4. Silver chloride, AgCl, is a white solid. The equilibrium constant is K = 6 x 109 for:
Ag+ (aq) + Cl- (aq) AgCl(s)
a. At equilibrium, would you expect to have mostly silver and chloride ions in solution, or
mostly solid silver chloride? Explain.
b. What color was the solid you formed in Step 6d? What must it have been?
c. What color did the liquid in the vial turn? Which complex of cobalt was favored? Explain.
d. Use Le Chatelier’s Principle to explain why the liquid in the vial underwent the color change.

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5. a. Which cobalt complex was favored by addition of energy as heat? Which complex was
favored by cooling?
b. Rewrite the equation for the reaction, including the energy term in the equation. The value of
∆H for the process is +50kJ/mol
c. Use Le Chatelier’s Principle and the equation from 5b to explain the color changes that
resulted from the heating and cooling.

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