Chapter 8: Chemical Reactions:
Measuring Rates of Reactions:
In chemical reactions, reactants change into products, this sometimes
brings some other changes with it like change in colour, pH, temperature
or mass. This information can be used to measure the rates of reactions.
Measuring Volume of Gas Produced Per Unit Time:
This is the best method to use for reactions that produce a gas. The
reaction should be preformed in a ceiled flask connected to a gas
syringe. When the reaction starts, the volume of gas produced is
measured every minute or so. For more accurate results, the reactants
should be separated until the time is started. This could be achieved by
putting one of the reactants in a tube with a thread that extends
through the ceiling out of the flask. To start the reaction the thread must
be pulled pouring the content of the tube into the flask, thus the
reactants meet. The time is started at this moment.
The previous figure shows a reaction between magnesium ribbon and
hydrochloric acid. Hydrogen gas is one of the products and we will
measure the volume of it produced every minute to find the rate of this
reaction. Assume the results are as in the table, they can be plotted on a
graph.
Time/Min Volume/Cm3
0 0
1 12
2 20
3 26
4 30
5 33
6 35
7 36.5
8 37.5
9 38
10 38
The steeper the curve the higher the rate
When the curve is horizontal (like from 9-10 mins) no gas is being
produced and the reaction is finished.
𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒆
The rate at given time is
𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆
𝟐𝟎 𝟏𝟐 𝟖
Example: rate at 2 mins: 𝟑
𝟐 𝟏 𝟏
𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆𝒅
Average rate of the reaction is:
𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏
𝟑𝟖
Average rate of this reaction is : 𝟑
𝟗
The reaction finishes after 9 minutes
The rate is inversely proportional to the time taken to finish
Measuring The Drop in Mass:
For reactions in which one of the products is a gas, this method can be
used. The reactants are put in a flask, the flask is placed on a balance.
The initial mass of the flask and its content is measured and recorded.
When the thread is pulled the reactants start reacting and the clock is
started at the same time. The mass of the flask and its content is
recorded every minute. A cotton wool is placed to allow gas produced to
escape and prevents air from entering the flask causing error.
As the reaction proceeds, the gas evolves escapes through the cotton
wool decreasing the mass of the flask and its content. The results will be
as follows:
Time/Minutes Mass of Flask & Content/g
0 156.0
1 154.0
2 152.0
3 152.2
4 150.7
5 150.7
6 150.7
The graph will look like this:
Measuring Time Taken For Cross To Disappear:
In some reactions, one of the products is an insoluble precipitate. In
these reactions, the rate could be measured by performing it in a flask
and placing the flask on a paper with a cross drawn on it. The time taken
for the solution to go unclear enough for the cross to disappear is
recorded.
But this is only one variable, so this method is used to investigate the
rate of the reaction in different concentration of the reactants which is
the second variable.
Sodium thiosulfuate reacts with hydrochloric acid producing sodium
chloride, sulfur oxide, water and sulfur. The pure sulfur produced is a
yellow precipitate. To investigate the rate of this reaction, we perform it
several times with different concentrations of hydrochloric acid, and
measure the time it takes for the sulfur precipitate to cover the cross.
In each experiment, the concentration of the hydrochloric acid and the
time taken for the cross to disappear are measured and recorded. These
are the results:
Concentration Time
Of HCl Acid Taken/ Sec
25 110
30 80
35 60
40 48
45 38
50 30
55 25
The concentration and time are inversely proportional. This is because as
the concentration increases, more particles of the reactant are present,
so frequency of effective collisions increase, thus the rate of the reaction
increases.
Factors Affecting The Rate of Reactions:
In chemical reactions, there are several factors that determine its rate. If
one of these factors is changed, the rate is affected. These are:
Concentration of reactants
Temperature
Particle size (Surface Area)
Catalyst
Light (for photochemical reactions only)
Concentration of Reactants:
The concentration of the reactants is indirectly proportional to time
taken for the reaction to finish. This is because as the concentration
increases, more particles of the reactants are present, thus the
frequency of effective collisions increase so the time taken for the
reaction to finish decreases and the rate increases.
In a reaction, increasing the concentration of the reactant in excess
speeds the reaction up without making a difference in the amount of the
product. However, if we increase the concentration of the limiting
reagent, the reaction speeds up and the amount of the product is
increased. This is because there are more particles of the limiting
reagent to react with available excess particles of substance in excess.
In an investigation, three apparatuses were set up as in the diagram.
Each flask contained equal masses of magnesium of the same surface
area, same volume of hydrochloric acid and all the reactions were
performed in the same temperature. Each flask however had a different
concentration of hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid was in excess.
EXP 1: 0.5 Mol/dm3 EXP 2: 0.3 Mol/dm3
EXP 3: 0.1 Mol/dm3
Magnesium reacts with hydrochloric acid as follows:
Mg + 2 HCl MgCl2 + H2
This reaction finished when the volume of hydrogen gas being produced
remains constant, the time taken to reach this point in each experiment
was recorded. The results were plotted on a graph:
All experiments produced the same volume of gas because the
concentration or amount of the limiting reagent was not changed. EXP 1.
Was the fastest followed by EXP 2. And EXP 3. Was the slowest because
of the difference in concentration of HCl. The faster the reaction the
steeper the curve.
Temperature:
As the temperature of a reaction increases, the time taken for it to finish
decreases and its rate increases. This is because the particles gain more
kinetic energy and start to move faster and further apart so the
frequency of effective collisions increase, thus the rate increases.
Zinc reacts with sulfuric acid as follows:
Zn + H2SO4 ZnSO4 + H2
In an investigation, this reaction was performed 3 times. Experiment 1
was preformed at 20oC, experiment 2 was performed at 30oC and
experiment 3 was performed at 50oC. the results were plotted on a
graph:
Experiment 1 has the least steep curve because its reaction was the
slowest because it had the lowest temperature. Experiment 2’s curve is
steeper than experiment 1’s because its reaction is faster because it had
a higher temperature. Experiment 3 has the steepest curve because its
reaction was the fastest because it had the highest temperature. All
experiments produced the same volume of hydrogen because the
amount or concentration of the reactants was not altered.
Particle Size (Surface Area):
In reactions in which one of the reactants is a solid. Increasing its surface
area will increase the rate of the reaction. This is because in a reaction,
the particles that react first are the particles on the surface of the solid
because they meet the particles of the other reactant first. So increasing
the surface area will increase the frequency of effective collisions and
thus increase the rate. Particle size and surface area are inversely
proportional, so if we have a block of sodium and we crush it down to
smaller bits, its particle size decrease and the surface area increases, if
we grind it into powder, the particle size will decrease more and the
surface area will increase more. Powder has the largest surface are.
Calcium carbonate (Chalk) reacts with hydrochloric acid as follows:
CaCO3 + 2HCl CaCl + CO2 + H2O
In an investigation, to investigate the effect of particle size on the rate
of the reaction, this reaction was performed three times. In each
reaction the same mass of chalk was used, same volume and
concentration of acid was used and all three experiments were
performed at the same temperature. The only factor that was changed
was the surface area of chalk. In experiment 1, one large block of chalk
was used. In experiment 2, 3 smaller blocks of chalk were used. In
experiment 3, powdered chalk was used. the volume of Carbon dioxide
produced and the time taken for each reaction to finish was measured.
The results were plotted on a graph:
Experiment 3 was the fastest because the chalk in it had the largest
surface area (powder form). Experiment 2 was slower because the chalk
in it had a smaller surface area (small blocks). Experiment 1 was the
slowest because it had the chalk in it had the smallest surface area (large
block). All reactions produced the same volume of CO2 because the mass
of chalk and volume and concentration of HCl was constant in all three
experiments.
Remember: experiments are finished when the volume of CO2 being
produced remains constant.
Catalysts:
A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction
and remains unchanged. When a catalyst is added to a substance, it
speeds it up without interfering.
Hydrogen peroxide decomposes to water and oxygen. This process
however is very slow on its own. When a catalyst (Manganese (iv) oxide)
Is used, this reaction becomes very rapid.
2H2O2 2H2O + O2
In an investigation to investigate the effect of a catalyst on this reaction,
the reaction was preformed 3 times. In experiment one, no catalyst was
used. in experiment 2, 5g of manganese (iv) oxide were used. in
experiment 3, 10g of manganese (iv) oxide were used. in all three
reactions, the same volume and concentration of Hydrogen peroxide
was used and they were all performed at the same temperature.The
time taken for the reaction to finish and volume of oxygen gas produced
were measured. The results were plotted on a graph:
In experiment 1, no catalyst was used, so the reaction was very slow,
this is why the curve is the least steep. In experiment 2, 5g of catalyst
were used, so it was faster than experiment 1 so the curve is steeper. In
experiment 3, 10g of the catalyst were used, so the reaction was fastest
and curve is the steepest. All reactions produced the same volume of
oxygen because the same volume of hydrogen peroxide was used in all
three reactions.
Humans have in their bodies substances called Enzymes these are
biological catalysts that speed up metabolic reactions in the body.
Hydrogen peroxide is very toxic, when it is formed in the body, an
enzyme Catalase quickly breaks it down into oxygen and water. This is
why blood can be used as a catalyst for this experiment.
The Curve:
In this graph, the curve
In bold Is the original
Experiment. The dotted
Curves are the same
Experiment repeated
But with changing a
Factor. From this
Graph, we could predict the
Change in each experiment.
The original experiment was
Between magnesium and hydrochloric
Acid in which hydrochloric acid was in excess and magnesium was the
limiting reagent. Mg + 2HCl MgCl2 + H2
In EXP 1, the volume of product was the same but the reaction was
faster. The change could be:
1. Temperature Increased
2. Catalyst is used
3. Magnesium was used as powder
4. Concentration of hydrochloric acid increased.
In EXP 2, the reaction was faster and the more hydrogen was formed.
The change must be an increase in the amount of limiting reagent
(Magnesium)
In EXP 3. The reaction is slower and less gas was formed. The amount
of limiting reagent (Magnesium) must have decreased.
