Rachel Boyes
How does the temperature affect the rate of reaction for magnesium?
Aim – My aim is to find out how temperature affects the rate of reaction with magnesium.
Prediction – I predict that the higher the temperature of the acid, the quicker the reaction with magnesium will take place; the lower the temperature the slower it will take place.
Science - I believe this because, when two chemicals react, their molecules have to collide with each other with sufficient energy for the reaction to take place. This is collision theory. The two molecules will only react if they have enough energy. By heating the mixture, you will raise the energy levels of the molecules involved in the reaction. Increasing temperature means the molecules move faster. This is kinetic theory. So by heating the particles up the magnesium particles will collide harder with the hydrochloric acid, causing it to dissolve faster, whereas if it was at room temperature it might take longer to dissolve, as the particles do not have as much energy. The reaction gets its energy from the Heat and temperature it is working at, the heat gives the reaction energy, as this energy is given the particles begin to collide, as the temperature increases as does the amount of energy there is to collide with each of the different substances of particles which will collide the fastest. If the temperature is low there would be less energy given to the particles for more collisions per second and the reaction would either not begin or begin very slowly. If the acid is diluted with water it would make it weaker and also slower to react with the strips of magnesium and because there are less particles of the reactant between the water molecules, which would have enabled it to make more collisions and therefore react quicker. Whereas if the solution has a stronger concentration with less water or none at all it would react at a faster rate, this is because there will be more of the particles reacting and colliding at a more faster rate than a solution with a weaker concentration.
