Reaction Rate Chemistry Example 4

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Example 4

medium
Two equal masses of calcium carbonate react with the same acid. One sample is powder and the other is large chips. Which reacts faster, and why?

Solution

  1. 1
    The powdered sample reacts faster because it has a much larger surface area exposed to the acid.
  2. 2
    Greater surface area means more collisions can happen each second between reactant particles, so the reaction rate increases.

Answer

The powder reacts faster because its larger surface area produces more collisions.
Reaction rate depends on how frequently effective collisions occur. Breaking a solid into smaller pieces exposes more particles to the other reactant and speeds up the process.

About Reaction Rate

The speed at which reactants are converted into products in a chemical reaction, quantified as the change in concentration of a reactant or product per.

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More Reaction Rate Examples

Example 1 easy

List four factors that affect the rate of a chemical reaction and explain how each works.

Example 2 medium

In a reaction, the concentration of a reactant decreases from [formula] to [formula] over [formula]

Example 3 easy

Why does increasing temperature speed up a chemical reaction?

← All Reaction Rate Examples Reaction Rate Concept