According to Le Chatelier's principle, how does a system respond to stress?

The foundation of Le Chatelier's principle is that a system at equilibrium will respond to changes or "stresses" placed upon it in a way that counteracts those changes. When a stress is applied—such as a change in concentration, temperature, or pressure—the equilibrium will shift in a direction that helps to minimize the impact of that stress.

For instance, if the concentration of reactants is increased, the system will shift towards the products to use up the added reactants and restore equilibrium. Conversely, if heat is added to an exothermic reaction, the system will often shift towards the reactants to absorb some of that added heat.

This principle effectively demonstrates the dynamic nature of chemical equilibria and how they adjust to external changes to achieve a new state of balance. Thus, the correct understanding of the system's behavior is that it will always strive to minimize the effect of stresses imposed on it.