Stressors
Definition
In chemistry, stressors refer to changes in conditions such as pressure, temperature or concentration that can affect the rate or direction of a chemical reaction.
Analogy
Imagine you're trying to study for your AP Chemistry exam but there's loud music playing next door (stressor). You might decide to move somewhere quieter or put on noise-cancelling headphones. Similarly, when stressors like increased temperature or pressure occur in a system at equilibrium, the system will adjust itself to reduce this stress - this is known as Le Chatelier's Principle.
Related terms
Le Chatelier's Principle: This principle states that if a change (or 'stress') is applied to a system at equilibrium, the system will adjust itself to counteract this change.
Equilibrium Constant (K): A number that expresses the relationship between concentrations of reactants and products at equilibrium in terms of their stoichiometric coefficients.
Dynamic Equilibrium: This is when forward and reverse reactions occur at equal rates so there's no net change in concentrations of reactants and products even though reactions are still happening.
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