Rates of reaction Flashcards
What is the rate of a reaction?
How fast the reactants change into products
Give an example of a slow reaction
Rusting of iron
Give an example of a moderate reaction
Magnesium reacting with an acid
Give an example of a quick reaction
Burning and explosions
On a graph, what shows how fast/slow a reaction is?
The steepness of the curve
What is collision theory?
Collision theory states that for a reaction to take place, particles must collide with enough energy. This is called a successful collision
What is activation energy?
The minimum kinetic energy required for a reaction to occur
What factors affect the rate of reaction?
Temperature, surface area, pressure, concentration and presence of a catalyst
How does temperature affect rate of reaction?
- Increases KE of particles
- Particles move quicker
- More successful collisions
How does surface area affect rate of reaction?
- More exposed area of a solid
- More particles to collide
- More frequent successful collisions
How does pressure/concentration affect rate of reaction?
- More particles in a given volume
- Particles collide more frequently
How does a catalyst affect rate of reaction?
- A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being used up
- It lowers the activation energy
What is the equation to measure rate of reaction?
Rate of reaction = (amount of reactant used up or product formed) / time
