Rates Of Reaction: An Intro

Question 1

Define the term rate of reaction

Answer 1

Rate of reaction is a measure of how quickly a reactant is used up, or a product is formed. So in simpler terms, how fast the reactant are changed into products

Question 2

Give two examples of what a slow reaction would be

Answer 2

– rusting of metal (one of the slowest is rusting of specifically iron)
– chemical weathering (like the effects of acid rain on limestone buildings)

Question 3

List an example of a moderately paced reaction

Answer 3

A metal (specifically magnesium here) reacting with an acid (to produce a gentle stream of bubbles)

Question 4

List an example of a faster paced reaction

Answer 4

Burning. And explosions. They happen in a split second- in fact less than a second and they produce a lot of gas

Question 5

How can you calculate the speed of a reaction?

Answer 5

Recording the amount of product formed or the amount of reactant used over the time of the reaction

Question 6

Say you plot a graph of the reaction. What does a steep line mean? And what happens when it grows flat?

Answer 6

The steeper the line, the faster the rate of the reaction, however, the line will gradually get flatter as the reactants get used up.

Question 7

What do quicker reactions look like on a graph?

Answer 7

Quicker reactions have a steeper line and reach the flat point at the least amount of time.