What factor does not affect the position of equilibrium according to Le Chatelier's principle?

Le Chatelier's principle states that if an external change is applied to a system at equilibrium, the system will adjust to counteract that change and restore a new equilibrium. Factors such as pressure, concentration, and temperature directly influence the position of equilibrium for a given reaction.

When pressure is changed, particularly in reactions involving gases, the equilibrium shifts toward the side with fewer moles of gas to decrease the pressure or toward the side with more moles to increase the pressure, depending on the specific change. Similarly, if the concentration of a reactant or product is changed, the system will shift to re-establish equilibrium by favoring the reaction direction that consumes the added species or produces more of the depleted species.

Temperature changes can also shift the equilibrium position. For an exothermic reaction, increasing temperature tends to shift equilibrium to the left (favoring reactants), while for an endothermic reaction, increasing temperature shifts equilibrium to the right (favoring products).

In contrast, the introduction of a catalyst does not alter the position of equilibrium. A catalyst speeds up both the forward and reverse reactions equally, allowing the system to reach equilibrium more quickly but does not change the concentrations of reactants and products at equilibrium. Hence, it does not affect the