PHYSICAL SCIENCES

PAPER 2
IB ZULU
RATES OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS
 OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON
• Define reaction rate
• Calculate reaction rate from given data
• List the factors that affect the rate of chemical reactions
• Explain in terms of the collision theory how the various factor affect
the rate of chemical reactions
• Answer questions and interpret data (tables or graphs) on different
experimental techniques for measuring the rate of a given reaction.
• Define the term positive catalyst
• Interpret graphs of distribution of molecular energies (number of
particles against their kinetic energy or Maxwell-Boltzmann curves)
to explain how a catalyst, temperature and concentration affect rate.
 PRE KNOWLEDGE
• Exothermic and Endothermic
reactions
• Kinetic energy
• Bond Energy and Bond Length
• Activation energy
 CHEMICAL REACTION
• Chemical reaction is a process in which reactants
are converted to products
• During chemical reaction existing bonds between
reactant particles must be broken and new bonds
must formed
• Particles of different reactants first collide with each
other effectively with sufficient energy called
Activition energy
• Activation energy is the minimum energy required
for effective collision
DEFINATION OF RATE OF REACTION
 The rate of a reaction is the change in the
concentration of reactants OR products per unit
time.
 When calculating reaction rate for a reaction using the
number of moles/ mass/concentration of reactants, the
following expression should be used:
 Average rate = -
• The number of moles/mass /concentration of reactants
decreases because reactants are used and therefore nf – ni
will be negative. The minus sign ensures that a positive
value is obtained for reaction rate.
 Definitions cont……….
• When calculating reaction rate for a reaction
using the number of moles of products, the
following expression should be used: Average
rate = . The number of moles of products
increases because products are formed and nf
– ni will be positive.
 COLLISION THEORY
This theory states that three conditions must be met for a
reaction to occur:
1. The reacting particles (atoms, molecules or ions) must
collide effectively with one another in order to react.
2. The reacting particles must collide with minimum energy
that is equal or higher than the activation energy to
start the process of breaking and forming bonds.
3. The reacting particles must collide with a correct
orientation that can lead to re-arrangement of atoms and
the formation of products.
•
FACTORS AFFECTING RATES OF REACTIONS

Concentration
of the reactants
in solution
Surface area
Addition of a
of solid the reactants
suitable catalyst
Factors (state of division)

affecting
the rate of
Nature of
reaction Pressure
the reacting (if reactants
substances are gases)

Temperature of the
reaction mixture
 Surface area/State of division
• The reaction rate increases with an increase in the surface area of the
reactants.
The explanation
• Increasing the surface area of the reactants results in more reaction
sites.
• (Reaction sites - specific sites on molecules at which reactions occur).
• Increasing the number of reaction sites increases the frequency of
total collisions.
• More effective collisions per unit time will occur which will increase
the reaction rate.
Example
• The most effective way of increasing the surface area of a solid is to
grind the solid into a powder.
 Concentration
• Concentration is the measure of number of moles of
dissolved(solute)per unit volume
• The higher the concentration of a reactant in solution, the
higher the rate of the reaction.
The explanation
• Increasing the concentration, increases the number of
solute particles in the solution per unit volume.
• This will increase the effective collision between the
particles per unit time/ increase the frequency of the
effective collisions).
• The reaction rate will therefore increase
 Temperature
• An increase in temperature increases the reaction rate.
Explanation
• Particles can only react when they collide effectively.
• Higher temperature implies higher average kinetic
energy of molecules.
• More molecules have minimum energy equal to or
higher than the activation energy.
• This will cause more effective collisions per unit time
(increase in the collision frequency).
• That will speed up the rate of reaction.
 Presence /addition of catalyst

Definition of a positive catalyst

• A positive catalyst is a substance that increases
the rate of a chemical reaction by providing a
different pathway of lower activation energy
without itself undergoing a permanent change.
• Catalyst does not change the energy of
reactants or products
• Catalyst does not affect the heat of reactions
 Presence /addition of catalyst
Explanation
• Collisions only result in a reaction if the particles
collide with a certain minimum energy called the
activation energy.
• Adding a catalyst provides an alternative route with
lower activation energy for the reaction.
• The majority / more of particles will now react via the
easier catalysed route with lower energy.
• More effective collisions per unit time will occur
which will increase the reaction rate
 Nature of the reacting substances

The rate of a chemical reaction depends on:

• the medium in which the reaction occurs
(liquid or gas);
• the properties of the reactants.
• The rate of a reaction may differ depending
whether the medium is aqueous or organic;
polar or nonpolar; or liquid, solid, or gaseous
• The reactions in which ionic and polar solutions
are involved also take place at a high rate.
Maxwell-Boltzman Distribution Curves
TEMPERATURES
CONCENTRATIONS
Addition of catalysts
GRAPH OF CONCENTRATIONVS TIME
GRAPH REACTANTS
GRAPH OF CONCENTRATIONVS TIME
GRAPH PRODUCTS
As the bubbles of gas are given off, the plunger in the syringe
moves out as hydrogen gas fills it. After, say every 10
seconds we read the volume of gas in the syringe. The reaction
is complete when the syringe no longer moves.
To find the actual rate we plot a graph of volume of hydrogen
(cm3) against time (seconds).
1. The rate is not a constant
throughout the reaction - it changes!
2. The reaction is fastest at the start,
gradually becoming slower as the
reaction proceeds.
3. From the graph, the fastest part of
the reaction is shown by the steepest
curve.
4. The curve on the graph goes flat
when the reaction is complete. This is
because, as time goes on the volume
of the gas evolved does not change.
Final Activities
Question 1
One word answer
Write only the word/term for each of the following descriptions next to
the question number.
1- The change in concentration of reactants or products per time
unit.
2- A substance which speeds up a reaction, but is chemically
unchanged at the end of the reaction.
3- The minimum amount of energy needed for a chemical reaction
to start.
4- Intermediate, short-lived group of atoms, before they form the
product.
5- Theory that explains the factors that influence reaction rates.
Basically, the theory postulates that the rates of reactions depend
on how often and how energetically the reacting molecules collide
with each other.