What is the effect of increasing temperature on equilibrium?

Increasing temperature affects an equilibrium system according to Le Chatelier's Principle, which states that if a dynamic equilibrium is disturbed by changing conditions, the position of equilibrium shifts to counteract the change. In the case of temperature increases, the system will shift to favor the endothermic reaction, which absorbs heat. This shift occurs because the system attempts to absorb the added thermal energy by favoring the direction that consumes heat – the endothermic process.

In a reaction, if we consider the forward reaction to be exothermic (releasing heat), increasing the temperature constitutes a stress that the equilibrium will respond to by shifting towards the endothermic reaction to reduce that stress. This allows the system to partially counteract the increase in temperature and restore a new equilibrium.

Thus, the correct answer emphasizes that the equilibrium will shift to the side of the reaction that absorbs heat when the temperature is raised, reinforcing the idea that the endothermic direction is favored under these conditions.