Investigate the concentration of hydrochloric acid which produces the most carbon dioxide in the quickest time.

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An investigation into how the concentration of hydrochloric acid affects the rate of reaction with marble (calcium carbonate) chips

Aim:

I wish to investigate the concentration of hydrochloric acid which produces the most carbon dioxide in the quickest time.

Factors which affect the rate of reaction:

  • Temperature- When the temperature is increased, the particles gain kinetic energy and move around faster. This gives them an increased chance of colliding with one another, and so speeds up the reaction.
  • Concentration of Hydrochloric acid- If the concentration is increased, there will be more particles of acid to collide, and so an increased chance of collision with the calcium carbonate. Because they collide more, the rate of the reaction is increased.
  • Surface area of marble- If you increase the surface area, the rate if the reaction is increased because more solution can come into contact and collide with the marble at one time.
  • Using a catalyst- This speeds up the rate of reaction as it gives an increased surface area for the reacting particles to come together, and lowering the activation energy needed before they can react.

Prediction: 

I predict that as I increase the concentration of hydrochloric acid, the rate will also increase as there will be more particles to collide with the marble, making the reaction quicker. The stronger the concentration of Hydrochloric Acid, the more gas produced. I think this will happen because a reaction goes faster when the concentration of a reactant is increased. The rate of a reaction depends on how many successful collisions there are between the two reactants, in this case being Hydrochloric acid and the calcium carbonate. This is a simple law of chemistry involving the rate of a reaction: In a diluted concentration of hydrochloric acid, the chance of an acid particle hitting a calcium carbonate particle is less. But if a more concentrated solution is used, there are more particles and there is a greater chance of the particle colliding with another calcium carbonate particle. When the concentration is doubled, I expect the amount of particles to be doubled, and the amount of collisions to be doubled also.

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Apparatus:

Method:

  • Firstly I will attach the gas syringe to the clamp and stand so that the syringe is at a horizontal angle. Next I will place the conical flask next to the gas syringe and join them up by a piece of rubber tubing. Next place the dish on to the scales and set the analogue reading to zero so that it only weighs the crystals. I will weigh the crystals equal to 3 grams.
  • Now, I need to measure out 10 cm 3 of HCL. I will firstly test 0.5 mole.
  • Take 1 gram ...

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