Speed of Reaction

Chemistry Notes GCE Study Buddy

Rate of Chemical Change

Rate of reaction: the speed at which a chemical reaction proceeds can vary Some chemicals reach together very quickly explosive as the energy they produce does not have time to escape, but builds up, resulting in flashes of light and sound

Measuring speed of reaction: visible changes

Suitable changes that can be observed: When a volume of gas is given off When there is a change in mass during the reaction When there are temperature changes When there are color changes When a precipitate forms When there are pH changes

Example of a reaction
Calcium carbonate (s) + hydrochloric acid (aq) --> calcium chloride (aq) + water (l) + carbon dioxide (g) We can monitor the speed of this reaction by measuring the mass changes every minute Or we could monitor the speed of the reaction by measuring the volume of carbon dioxide given off, using a gas syringe

Reaction rate
The reaction rate is given by: Change in mass or volume / time taken Each graph is a plot of this reaction rate, whose units are either in grams or cm3 per minute The gradient of the graph indicates the speed or rate of reaction This rate changes throughout the reaction and is indicated by the change in gradient It is greatest at the beginning, but becomes less as the reaction proceeds Eventually, the reaction stops and the reaction rate becomes zero (when the graph becomes flat, or gradient = 0)

Factors which affect speed of a chemical reaction

Temperature of the reactants Concentration of the reactants Pressure on the reaction Particle size of the reactants

Temperature
The higher the temperature, the faster the rate of reaction For every 10C rise in temperature, the rate of reaction approximately doubles Explained by the Collision Theory When the temperature is raised, the reactant particles have a greater heat energy, causing them to move about more and with a greater kinetic energy Therefore they stand a better chance of colliding into another reactant molecule with sufficient energy to convert into product molecules At lower temperatures, the particles have less kinetic energy and are less likely to collide with another reactant molecule with sufficient energy to be

Concentration
The more concentrated the reactants, the faster the speed of a chemical reaction This is because at a higher concentration, there is a greater likelihood that reacting molecules will collide with one another with sufficient energy to form products
Hence, pure oxygen is used instead of air in oxygen tents in hospitals to speed up the recovery of patients Pure oxygen also used in oxyacetylene torches because the number of collisions between the acetylene molecules and oxygen is increased, so it will burn at a greater speed producing heat and a higher temperature for welding

Pressure
The speed of reactions which involve gases is faster at higher pressure higher pressures force the particles closer together and so their concentration within a certain volume increases More collisions therefore occur and the speed of reaction increases

Particle size
Smaller particles like powder have a much greater surface area than larger particles With a greater surface area, the other reactants can attack it more easily and so increase the speed of reaction The greater the surface area, the faster the rate of a chemical reaction

Catalysts
A catalyst is a substance which increases the rate of chemical reaction, without itself being chemically changes at the end of the reaction Catalysts work by providing a more direct route from reactants to products If we plot energy against time for a reaction, there is an energy barrier over which the reactants have to pass The height of this barrier above the energy of the reactants is called the activation energy Catalysts lower this activation energy so as to allow the reactants to change into products more quickly
Eg. manganese IV oxide to speed up decomposition of hydrogen peroxide

Inhibitors: substances which slow down reactions

Eg glycerin to inhibit decomposition of hydrogen peroxide

Catalysts
Can also explain catalysts in terms of intermediates
Compounds formed in between the change of reactants to products They are very unstable, but with the presence of a catalyst, they are more likely to be formed

Catalyst
X (reactant) + C (catalyst) --> XC (intermediate XC + Y (reactant) --> Z (product) + C (catalyst) Many catalysts are transition metals and often these are good at adsorbing gases on their surface They are surface catalysts The reactant molecules on the surface of the catalyst are present in a greater concentration than when they are simply n the gaseous phase So the reaction proceeds faster

Examples of catalysts
Catalyst Iron Vanadium (V) oxide Nickel Platinum Industrial process Haber Process for the manufacture of ammonia Contact Process for manufacture of sulphur dioxide Hydrogenation of alkenes in margarine manufacture Manufacture of nitric acid