Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
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.
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.
A number that expresses the relationship between concentrations of reactants and products at equilibrium in terms of their stoichiometric coefficients.
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.