Reaction Rates The rate of a chemical reaction is a measure of how quickly reactants are consumed or products are formed over time. It can be calculated as: Rat...
The rate of a chemical reaction is a measure of how quickly reactants are consumed or products are formed over time. It can be calculated as:
Rate = ΔConcentration / ΔTime
Problem: In a reaction, the concentration of a product decreased from 1.5 mol dm⁻³ to 0.8 mol dm⁻³ in 25 seconds. Calculate the rate of the reaction.
Solution:
Several factors influence the rate of a chemical reaction, which can be explained using the collision theory and activation energy:
Increasing temperature increases the average kinetic energy of particles, resulting in more frequent, effective collisions and a higher reaction rate.
Higher concentrations or pressures increase the number of particles per unit volume, leading to more frequent collisions and a faster reaction rate.
Increasing the surface area of solid reactants exposes more particles to collisions, accelerating the reaction.
Catalysts provide an alternative pathway with lower activation energy, allowing reactions to occur more readily at lower temperatures.
Some reactions are reversible, with products re-forming reactants. At equilibrium, the forward and reverse reaction rates are equal.
Le Chatelier's Principle states that when a system at equilibrium is disturbed, it shifts to counteract the change: