Factors Affecting Rate — GCSE Chemistry Revision
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Go to Reversible ReactionsWhat is Factors Affecting Rate?
Several factors can change the rate of a chemical reaction: temperature, concentration (or pressure for gases), surface area of solid reactants, and the presence of a catalyst. All of these factors can be explained in terms of how they affect the frequency and energy of collisions between reactant particles.
Board notes: This topic is a core part of all GCSE Chemistry specifications and is linked to a required practical investigation. You must know the four main factors and be able to explain their effect on reaction rate using collision theory.
Step-by-step explanationWorked example
Increasing the concentration of an acid in a reaction with a metal increases the rate. This is because there are more acid particles in the same volume, which leads to more frequent collisions with the metal surface, and therefore a faster reaction.
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Common mistakes
- 1Providing incomplete explanations. For example, just saying 'increasing temperature increases the rate'. You must explain it using collision theory (more kinetic energy, more frequent and more energetic collisions).
- 2Confusing concentration and pressure. Concentration applies to solutions, while pressure applies to gases. Both relate to the number of particles in a given volume.
- 3Forgetting that catalysts are not used up in the reaction and that they are specific to the reaction they catalyse.
Factors Affecting Rate exam questions
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Step-by-step method
Step-by-step explanation
4 steps · Worked method for Factors Affecting Rate
Core concept
Several factors can change the rate of a chemical reaction: temperature, concentration (or pressure for gases), surface area of solid reactants, and the presence of a catalyst. All of these factors ca…
Frequently asked questions
How does surface area affect reaction rate?
For a solid reactant, increasing the surface area (e.g., by crushing a lump into a powder) exposes more of the reactant particles to the other reactant. This increases the frequency of collisions and therefore the rate of reaction.
What is a catalyst?
A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction without being chemically changed itself. It does this by lowering the activation energy of the reaction.