Calcium carbonate reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid according to the equation below

The first 200 words of this essay...

Calcium carbonate reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid according to the equation below.

CaCO3(s) + 2HCl(aq) CaCl2(aq) + H2O (l) + CO 2(g)

You are to confirm by experiment that this reaction is first order with respect to hydrochloric acid.

Introduction

The order of reaction gives the relationship between the rate of reaction, and the concentration of acid. In a first order reaction the rate is directly proportional to the concentration of the acid. Second order reactions are where the rate of reaction depends on the concentration squared. The aim of this experiment is to prove that the reaction that takes place is a first order reaction. Finding the rates for different concentrations, and plotting the results on a graph, rate against concentration, and drawing a line of best fit will be used to prove this.

Prediction

I predict that in the relationship between the reaction rate and the concentration, they will be directly proportional to each other. This means that it will be a first order reaction. I have predicted this because page 4 of 4B2.5 states that in a reaction where the rate is directly proportional to the concentration