Chemical Reaction Rates and Catalysts

Front

What are effective collisions in a chemical reaction?

Back

Effective collisions are collisions between reactant particles that result in a chemical reaction. These collisions must have sufficient energy and proper orientation.

Front

What is the relationship between surface area and reaction rate?

Back

Increasing the surface area of a reactant increases the rate of reaction because more particles are available to collide and react.

Front

How do you calculate the rate of formation of a product in a chemical reaction?

Back

Use stoichiometry based on the balanced chemical equation. For example, if 3 O2(g) + 4 Al(s) → 2 Al2O3(s), and O2 is consumed at 0.060 M/s, the rate of formation of Al2O3 is 0.040 M/s.

Front

What effect does decreasing the concentration of reactants have on reaction rate?

Back

Decreasing the concentration of reactants generally slows down the reaction rate because there are fewer particles available to collide.

Front

What happens if reactant particles collide with less than the activation energy?

Back

If reactant particles collide with less than the activation energy, they will rebound and no reaction will occur.

Front

Define activation energy in the context of chemical reactions.

Back

Activation energy is the minimum energy required for reactants to collide and form products in a chemical reaction.

Front

What role do catalysts play in chemical reactions?

Back

Catalysts increase the rate of a chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy without being consumed in the process.

Front

How does temperature affect reaction rates?

Back

Increasing the temperature generally increases the reaction rate because particles move faster and collide more frequently with greater energy.

Front

What is the effect of pressure on the reaction rates of gases?

Back

Increasing pressure on gaseous reactants increases the reaction rate by reducing the volume and increasing the concentration of the gas particles.

Front

Explain the concept of dynamic equilibrium in chemical reactions.

Back

Dynamic equilibrium occurs when the rate of the forward reaction equals the rate of the reverse reaction, resulting in constant concentrations of reactants and products.