To determine how the system at equilibrium will adjust when it is heated, we need to apply Le Chatelier's Principle. This principle states that if a dynamic equilibrium is disturbed by changing the conditions, the position of equilibrium moves to counteract the change.
The given reaction is:
[tex]\[ 2 \, SO_2(g) + O_2(g) \rightleftharpoons 2 \, SO_3(g) + 198 \, \text{kJ} \][/tex]
This equation indicates that the forward reaction is exothermic, as it releases 198 kJ of heat.
When the system is heated, we are effectively adding heat to the system. According to Le Chatelier's Principle, the system will respond by shifting the equilibrium to absorb this additional heat. To absorb heat, the equilibrium will shift in the direction of the endothermic reaction. In this case, the reverse reaction (which converts [tex]\( SO_3 \)[/tex] back into [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex] and [tex]\( O_2 \)[/tex]) is endothermic, as it will absorb heat.
Thus, when we add heat to the system, the equilibrium will shift toward the reactants (left side) to absorb the excess heat. As a result, the concentrations of [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex] and [tex]\( O_2 \)[/tex] will increase, while the concentration of [tex]\( SO_3 \)[/tex] will decrease.
Therefore, the correct response is:
- The reaction will shift toward the reactants (left) and increase the concentrations of [tex]\( SO_2 \)[/tex] and [tex]\( O_2 \)[/tex].
