When you add an inert gas to a gaseous reaction, it does not shift equilibrium position Q because the partial pressures of all reactants do not change. Total pressure changes but it is totally compensated for by the change in mole fractions of everything. Instead, when you change the reaction container's volume, mole fractions obviously do not change, so the change in total pressure must be compensated for by changing partial pressures, which means a shifted Q.
When you add an inert liquid to a liquid reaction, ie a solvent, it does shift the equilibrium.
Is this because the solvent serves two functions in this case? It both changes the concentrations of the reactive species and it increases the liquid's reaction volume? So is it analogous to a gas situation of changing reaction vessel volume and adding in a bunch of inert gas?
When you add an inert liquid to a liquid reaction, ie a solvent, it does shift the equilibrium.
Is this because the solvent serves two functions in this case? It both changes the concentrations of the reactive species and it increases the liquid's reaction volume? So is it analogous to a gas situation of changing reaction vessel volume and adding in a bunch of inert gas?
