Topic 5 - Factors Affecting Rate of Reaction

Question 1

what does the rate of reaction depend on?

Answer 1

temperature, concentration/pressure, surface area and the presence of a catalyst

Question 2

how does temperature increase the rate of reaction?

Answer 2

1. when temperature is increased particles move faster, meaning more collisions
2. higher temperatures also increase the energy of the collisions, since particles are moving faster.

Question 3

how does increasing concentration/pressure increase the rate of reaction?

Answer 3

more concentration/pressure means there are more particles of reactant in the same volume - making collisions more likely

Question 4

how does increasing surface area increase the rate of reaction?

Answer 4

1. breaking a solid into smaller pieces increases the surface area to volume ration
2. this means particles have more area to work on - so the frequency of collisions increases