Rates of Reaction
From ZuluNotes - Free Leaving Cert Notes
Rate of Reaction: Change in concentration per unit time of any one product or reactant.
Factors Affecting Rates of Reactions
- Nature of reactants
- Particle size
- Concentration
- Temperature
- Catalysts
1. Nature of Reactants(ionic or covalant)
Ionic: Rxn* is fast at room temperature as all that is involved is he coming together of oppositely charged ions which react when they collide.
Covalent: Rxn is generally slow. Bonds have to be broken for new bonds to be formed in a rxn and this process takes time.
2. ParticleSize
If one reactant is solid and the other is liquid, the particle size of the solid affects the rate of rxn. The smaller the particle size, the faster the reaction.
3. Concentration
If the concentration of the reactants is increased then the rate of the rxn is usually increased.
4.Temperature
Rxn rate is usually increased if there is an increase in temperature.
5. Catalysts
Catalyst: a substance that alters the rate of a chemical rxn but is not consumed by it.
