When Q is greater than K, what direction does the reaction shift?

When the reaction quotient (Q) is greater than the equilibrium constant (K), this indicates that the concentration of products is higher than what is present at equilibrium relative to the concentrations of reactants. In this situation, the system is not at equilibrium and will adjust to restore balance.

To achieve this balance, the reaction will shift in the direction that decreases the concentration of products and increases the concentration of reactants. This means that the system shifts to the left, favoring the formation of more reactants until Q decreases and approaches K, eventually reaching equilibrium.

This concept is rooted in Le Chatelier's principle, which states that if a system at equilibrium is disturbed, the system will respond by attempting to counteract that disturbance and restore equilibrium. Therefore, when Q is greater than K, the reaction shifts left to form more reactants, moving towards restoring the equilibrium state.