What factors affect the rate of reaction?

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What factors affect the rate of reaction?

By Alex Willmott

I am trying to find out what factors affect the rate of reaction. Here are the four things that affect the rate of reactions under normal circumstances:

  • Concentration
  • Catalysts
  • Temperature
  • Surface Area

In this experiment we will be looking at how concentration affects the rate of reaction. Here is the word equation for our experiment:

Magnesium + Sulphuric Acid     Hydrogen + Magnesium Sulphate

Mg(s) + H SO      H (g) + MgSO

Prediction

 In my experiment I expect that when I increase the amount of acid the reaction will occur faster. Increasing the amount of acid is increasing the concentration, which I think will speed up the reaction. If I dilute the sulphuric acid by adding water then the rate of reaction will slow down because of decreased concentration.

This will all happen because of something called ‘The Collision Theory’. The particles in a liquid move continuously, so this causes collisions. So if the collisions have enough energy a reaction will take place, but if there is not enough energy no reaction occurs. This is where the factors I mentioned come into play; for example if there is more particles a reaction is less likely to occur, this is when surface area is involved. When temperatures are higher the particles move around more quickly resulting in more reactions, faster. So if a substance is dilute there are fewer particles to react meaning less collisions and a slower rate of reaction.

So in our experiment if the acid is more dilute there won’t be as many acid particles. This means there is not much chance of an acid particle colliding with a magnesium atom. In more concentrated acid there are more particles for a reaction.

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So my prediction is: a higher concentration in the acid means there are acid particles to collide and react with the magnesium particles.

I will begin with:                           And finish with:

Magnesium + Sulphuric Acid      Hydrogen + Magnesium Sulphate

This is what I predict the graph I plot will look like:

                           

Hydrogen (cm )

                ...

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