7. Chemical Reactions Flashcards
What do physical changes produce?
Physical changes (such as melting or evaporating) do not produce any new chemical substances
Are physical changes hard to reverse?
NO
-These changes are often easy to reverse and mixtures produced are usually relatively easy to separate
What do chemical changes produce?
In chemical reactions, new chemical products are formed that have very different properties to the reactants
Are chemical changes hard to reverse?
YES
- Most chemical reactions are impossible to reverse
What accompany chemical changes?
Energy changes also accompany chemical changes and energy can be given out (exothermic) or taken in (endothermic)
Are the majority of chemical reactions exothermic or endothermic?
The majority of chemical reactions are exothermic with only a small number being endothermic
What is the correlation between the rate of reaction and the concentration of a solution?
Increase in the concentration of a solution, the rate of reaction will increase
Why does an increase in concentration lead to an increase in the rate of reaction?
This is because there will be more reactant particles in a given volume, allowing more frequent and successful collisions per second, increasing the rate of reaction
What is the correlation between the rate of reaction and the surface area of a substance?
Increase in the surface area of the solid, the rate of reaction will increase
Why does an increase in surface area lead to an increase in the rate of reaction?
This is because more surface area particles will be exposed to the other reactant so there will be more frequent and successful collisions per second, increasing the rate of reaction
What is the correlation between the rate of reaction and temperature?
Increase in the temperature, the rate of reaction will increase
Why does an increase in temperature lead to an increase in the rate of reaction?
This is because the particles will have more kinetic energy than the required activation energy, therefore there will be more frequent and successful collisions per second, increasing the rate of reaction
What is the correlation between the rate of reaction and the use of a catalyst?
This shows that when a catalyst is used, the rate of reaction will increase
Why does the use of a catalyst lead to an increase in the rate of reaction?
Catalysts reduce the activation energy as they create alternative pathways requiring lower activation energy, allowing more successful and frequent collisions
When does explosive combustion occur?
Explosive combustion occurs when there are many fine particles in the air
In what industrial processes is there a high risk of explosive combustion and why?
Many industrial processes such as metal working, coal mining or flour milling produce very fine and tiny particles
These particles have a very large surface area and are combustible in air
Even a small spark may cause them to ignite and since the surface area is so large, the rate of reaction can be incredibly fast, hence they are explosive
Describe the graph for using different concentrations to see their effect on the rate of reaction
Compared to a reaction with a reactant at a low concentration, the graph line for the same reaction but at a higher concentration has a steeper gradient at the start and becomes horizontal sooner
Describe the graph for using different surface areas to see their effect on the rate of reaction
Compared to a reaction with lumps of reactant, the graph line for the same reaction but with powdered reactant has a steeper gradient at the start and becomes horizontal sooner
Describe the graph for using a catalyst to see their effect on the rate of reaction
The diagram shows that when a catalyst is used, the activation energy is reduced as it creates an alternative pathway requiring lower activation energy, allowing more successful and frequent collisions
Describe the graph for using different temperatures to see their effect on the rate of reaction
Compared to a reaction at a low temperature, the graph line for the same reaction but at a higher temperature has a steeper gradient at the start and becomes horizontal sooner
Look at 7.1.2 and the different practicals
indeed
What is the activation energy?
Particles need to have a minimum amount of energy to react when they collide
This is called the activation energy
Why is the rate of reaction slow at low temperatures?
At low temperatures only a small number of particles will have enough activation energy so the reaction will be slow
Why is the rate of reaction higher at higher temperatures? in terms of kinetic energy
At higher temperatures the particles have more kinetic energy so they move faster and with more energy
The collisions are thus more energetic and there is a greater number of particles with sufficient energy to react, so the rate of reaction increases
What does increasing the concentration do in relation to space and how does this increase the rate of reaction?
Increasing the concentration means there are more particles per cm3, so there is less space between the particles
Since there are more particles then it follows that there are more collisions, hence the rate of reaction increases
In what conditions do photochemical reactions occur?
These reactions occur only when light is present
What increases the rate of photochemical reactions?
The greater the intensity of ultraviolet light then the greater the rate of reaction
What is an example of a photochemical reaction? Give an equation
Photosynthesis
6CO2 + 6H2O —> C6H12O6 + 6O2
What do black and white photography film surfaces contain?
crystals of silver bromide
What happens to silver bromide when exposed to light? Give an equation?
When exposed to light they decompose to silver:
2AgBr → 2Ag + Br2
What is the difference in colour between AgBr and Ag
AgBr - colourless at low concentrations
Ag - appears grey black
What causes the different shades of black on a photography film?
Parts of the film appear black, grey or white depending on the exposure:
Stronger light = black or dark grey
Weaker light = light grey
Not exposed = white
What is photosynthesis?
This is the process in which plants produce food for reproduction and growth
What does photosynthesis require?
The process requires sunlight and chlorophyll
What is the catalyst for photosynthesis?
Chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants which absorbs sunlight and acts as the catalyst for photosynthesis
When do most reactions go to completion?
Some reactions go to completion, where the reactants are used up to form the product molecules and the reaction stops when all of the reactants are used up
What is the difference with reversible reactions compared to normal reactions?
In reversible reactions, the product molecules can themselves react with each other or decompose and form the reactant molecules again
In which direction does a reversible reaction occur?
It is said that the reaction can occur in both directions: the forward reaction (which forms the products) and the reverse direction (which forms the reactants)