Effect of Concentration Change
The shift in equilibrium position caused by adding or removing a reactant or product.
Formula / equation
Q ≠ K → shift until Q = K
Unit
mol/L
In depth
Adding a species drives the equilibrium away from it; removing one draws the equilibrium towards it. Because K is unchanged, the system simply moves to a new set of concentrations satisfying the same ratio. Continuously removing a product is the standard way to force a reaction towards completion.
Examples in the real world
Distilling the ester out of an esterification mixture as it forms to drive the reaction to high yield.