The reaction shifts to the left (towards the reactants). What happens to the amount of HI as the reaction shifts?

[tex]51.8 \, \text{kJ} + H_2(g) + I_2(g) \rightleftharpoons 2 \, HI(g)[/tex]

A. The amount of HI goes down.
B. The amount of HI goes up.
C. The amount of HI does not change.



Answer :

To determine what happens to the amount of HI (Hydrogen Iodide) when the reaction shifts to the left towards the reactants, we need to consider the reaction and what shifting to the left means.

The given reaction is:

[tex]\[ 51.8 \, \text{kJ} + H_2(g) + I_2(g) \rightleftharpoons 2 \, \text{HI}(g) \][/tex]

### Step-by-Step Analysis:

1. Understand the Direction of Shift:
- When a reaction shifts to the left, it moves towards the reactants' side. This occurs when conditions favor the formation of more reactants instead of products.
- Shifting to the left means the equilibrium is being disturbed in such a way that the system adjusts by producing more reactants (H[tex]\(_2\)[/tex] and I[tex]\(_2\)[/tex]) and consuming products (HI).

2. Consequences of Shifting to the Left:
- Since the equilibrium shifts to the left, the amount of HI (product) decreases because it is being consumed to form more reactants.
- Concurrently, the concentrations of [tex]\(H_2\)[/tex] and [tex]\(I_2\)[/tex] increase.

3. Application to the Scenario:
- In the context of the given reaction, since the equilibrium is shifting to the left, we can determine that the reaction will yield more hydrogen (H[tex]\(_2\)[/tex]) and iodine (I[tex]\(_2\)[/tex]), resulting in a decrease in the amount of hydrogen iodide (HI).

### Conclusion:

Given this analysis, we can conclude that when the reaction shifts to the left:
- The amount of HI (Hydrogen Iodide) goes down.

Therefore, the correct answer is:

A. The amount of HI goes down.