The Rates of Chemical Reactions
Rates of Reaction
• Some reactions occur:
a. Almost instantaneously (sodium in water)
OR
b. Extremely slowly (weathering of rock)
• During the course of a chemical reaction the
concentrations of reactants decrease, while the
concentrations of products increase.
Reactants Products
Rate of Reaction Calculations
• The rate of reaction is given by either or both:
a. (change in concentration of reactants) ÷ (time taken for the change)
b. (change in concentration of products) ÷ (time taken for the change)
• The common unit used in measuring reaction time is:
(mol dm-3) ÷ (s) = mol dm-3 s-1
Ways in which Rates of Reaction may be
Monitored
• Reactions can be followed by monitoring concentration
changes.
• The following factors are also dependent on
concentration changes and so concentration is assessed
by measuring these factors:
a. Volume changes b. pH
c. Colour intensity d. Pressure
Reasons Why Chemical Reactions Occur
• Chemical reactions occur if three conditions
occur::
1. Reactant molecules collide.
2. Reactant molecules have energy greater than activation
energy.
3. Reactant molecules must collide in the correct position, i.e.
with the correct orientation.
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction
• 1. concentration
• 2. pressure
• 3. temperature
• 4. catalyst
• 5. particle size/surface area
• 6. light for some reactions
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Concentration
• An increase in concentration means
there are more reactant molecules in a
given volume.
This may lead to more frequent
collisions and to a faster rate of
reaction.
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Pressure
• An increase in pressure means there are
more collisions between reactant
molecules in a given volume.
This would lead to a faster rate of
reaction as bonds are being broken and
reformed faster.
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Pressure
• Important reactions of gaseous systems where pressure is applied
include:
a. The production of ammonia from N2 and H2. The pressure used
in the commercial production of ammonia varies from about 250
atmospheres to about 1000 atmospheres.
b. The conversion of fats and oils to margarine. Pressures of about
5 atmospheres are used.
c. The conversion of ammonia to nitric acid. Pressures of about 8
atmospheres are used.
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Temperature
• An increase in temperature cause particles to
move faster which means:
1. particles collide more frequently (minor
effect);
2. the collisions are more energetic i.e. More
particles have energy greater than the
activation energy (major effect)
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Temperature
• The rate of a chemical reaction is increased by increasing the
temperature of the reactants.
• Why is food stored within refrigerators?
• We cook food in pressure cookers.
How does this help us?
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Temperature
• When temperatures are risen the reaction rate goes
faster.
• For some chemical reactions and for biological
reactions up to 40oC the reaction rate increases
approximately two-fold for every 10oC rise in
temperature.
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Catalysts
• The rates of many reactions can be changed by the
addition of small amounts of catalysts. What exactly is a
catalyst?
• Catalysts:
1. Do not appear within the equation
2. Take part in the reaction but are unchanged chemically
at the end. Solid catalysts may undergo physical changes.
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Catalysts
• Catalysts provide a different and easier way for the
reactants to form products.
Catalysts are widely used in industry::
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Catalysts
• The way catalysts work are not fully understood
however, they lower the activation energy for the
given reaction, ensuring that many more collisions
are successful.
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Catalysts
• The catalyst may be in a different state from that of the
reactants for example, manganese(IV) oxide , a solid,
catalysing the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, an
aqueous solution.
• Or, it can be in the same state as the reactants as in
concentrated sulphuric acid, an aqueous solution,
catalysing the reaction between ethanol and ethanoic
acid to form ethyl ethanoate, which are all aqueous
solutions.
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Catalysts
• The most important reaction that
depends on light as a catalyst is
photosynthesis.
What is photosynthesis?
6CO2(g) + 6H2O(l) C6H12O6(aq) + 6O2(g)
Such reactions are referred to as
photochemical reactions because
their reactions were/are initiated
or accelerated by light.
Light, however, does not affect the rates of the majority of chemical
reaction.
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Catalysts
• Enzymes are sometimes referred to as organic or
biological catalysts. They are complex organic
molecules, which are produced in cells and
control many biological reactions.
• Enzymes may be involved in synthesis (building-
up) or degradation (breaking down) of cellular
materials.
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Catalysts
• Each enzyme catalyses only one reaction or one reaction
type. Enzymes are highly specific in their reactivity.
• Enzymes lower the activation energy of a reaction by
speeding up the reaction as they bring the most reactive
bits of reactant molecules into contact with each other.
• An example of an enzyme includes the use of papain
which is an enzyme present in papaya that has the ability
to tenderize meat.
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction - Catalysts
• The following are true for all enzymes:
1. Enzymes are highly specific in their reactions
2. Enzymes are required in much smaller
quantities than inorganic catalysts
3. Enzymes are affected by pH and temperature
changes
Factors Which Affect the Rate of a Chemical
Reaction – Surface Area
• The rate of a chemical reaction involving a solid reactant
is increased by increasing the state of subdivision/surface
area of the solid. How may a solid’s surface area be
increased?
• In such reactions, collisions occur between moving
molecules and the solid reactants. Therefore the greater
the surface area of a solid the greater the surface area
available for collisions, and the greater the rate of
reaction.
