Le-Chatelier's Principle
Le-Chatelier and Braun (1884), French chemists, made certain generalizations to explain the effect of changes in concentration, temperature or pressure on the state of system in equilibrium. When a system is subjected to a change in one of these factors, the equilibrium gets disturbed and the system readjusts itself until it returns to equilibrium. The generalization is known as Le-Chatelier's principle. It may be stated as:
“Change in any of the factors that determine the equilibrium conditions of a system will shift the equilibrium in such a manner to reduce or to counteract the effect of the change.”
The principle is very helpful in predicting qualitatively the effect of change in concentration, pressure or temperature on a system in equilibrium.