Rates of reaction throughout the year

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Corroding Statue

I am trying to find out if a statue made of magnesium corrodes at different rates through out the year.

Scientific Knowledge:

Some scientific knowledge, like the collision theory and information and equations on the origin of acid rain, will help me in my investigation.

Useful definitions:

Activation energy: this is the minimum energy that two particles must posses for a reaction to occur when they collide.

Catalyst: A catalyst speeds up a reaction by reducing the activation energy.

Collision Theory:

For a reaction to occur, the reactant particles must collide with each other and with enough energy (activation energy).

How different conditions affect the rate of reaction:

Temperature-

Low temperature                                                            High temperature

-Low temperature- few collisions, low rate of reaction.

-High temperature- more collisions, high rate of reaction.

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Concentration-

Low concentration                                                          High concentration

-Low concentration: particles far apart, few collisions, low rate of reaction.

-High concentration: particles more crowed more collisions high rate of reaction

Surface area-

Low surface area                                                                                           ………… High surface area                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

-Increase in surface area, increases the rate of reaction.

-Smaller particles have a larger surface area than larger molecules.

Catalyst-

A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a reaction by lowering the activation energy but is chemically unchanged at the end of the reaction.

Information on acid rain:

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Fossil fuels give off a small amount of Sulphur, S.

Acid rain will also be a mix of sulphurous and sulphuric acid and a small amount of nitric acid. The statue is reacting with sulphuric and sulphurous acid. The sulphur is coming from fossil fuels.

Equation of acid rain:

S+02              S02

S02+H20             H2S03

My Prediction:

I predict that in summer, it will corrode more because the temperature is higher. When the temperature is higher more reactions will occur because of the increase in collisions.

I also ...

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3 Stars This laboratory investigation into magnesium corrosion begins well with a well researched introduction. The main section of the report is too brief and does miss key elements essential to any good laboratory report including a labelled method diagram and step wise easy to follow instructions. More care also needs to be taken when evaluating the results simply stating that the results supported the prediction is insufficient, more links need to be made between the result and the science behind both corrosion and the reaction between a metal and an acid. Improvements have been suggested throughout the text.