C8
Uploaded by
Matthew B JusufC8
Uploaded by
Matthew B JusufCAIE Chemistry A-level
8: Reaction Kinetics
Notes
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Rate of Reaction
The rate of a reaction is expressed as the change in concentration of a reactant or
product per unit of time.
Collision Theory
There are several factors which affect whether or not particles will react when they collide.
For a successful reaction, particles must collide with the correct orientation and with
sufficient energy (activation energy).
Effect of Concentration
Increasing the concentration of reactants will increase the rate of reaction because
there are more particles in the same volume so particles will collide more frequently. This
means that there is a greater chance that the particles will collide at the correct orientation
with sufficient energy for them to react, so there will be more frequent successful
collisions.
Effect of Pressure
Increasing the pressure of reactants will increase the rate of reaction as there are the
same number of particles in a smaller volume so particles will collide more frequently. This
means that there is a greater chance that the particles will collide at the correct orientation
with sufficient energy for them to react, so there will be more frequent successful
collisions.
Measuring Rate of Reaction
There are several ways in which the rate of reaction can be measured, depending on the
reaction:
● If a precipitate is produced, the rate could be measured by placing the reaction
mixture over a black cross and timing how long it takes for the cross to disappear.
● If the reaction mixture changes colour during the reaction, colorimetry could be
used to measure the amount of light absorbed by the mixture.
● If hydrogen ions are reacting or are produced, the pH could be measured using a pH
probe. This method only works for large changes in hydrogen ion concentration.
● Electrical conductivity measurements can be taken to work out the rate of reaction.
The electrical conductivity of a liquid depends on the concentration of ions so if ions
are being used up, the conductivity will decrease.
● If a reaction produces a gas, the rate of reaction could be measured using:
- a gas syringe to record the volume of gas produced;
- an upturned measuring cylinder in a water trough to measure the volume of
gas produced;
- or a mass balance to measure the change in mass (mass will be lost as the
gas escapes).
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The rate of reaction can be calculated as follows:
Rate of reaction = (Amount of product formed or reactant used) ÷ (Time)
If you want to compare the initial rates of two reactions where the volume of gas collected is
the same, it can be said that the initial rate is inversely proportional to the time it takes to
collect the volume of gas:
Initial rate ∝ 1/t
Therefore, 1/t can be calculated and plotted as the initial rate.
Temperature and Rate
Activation Energy and the Boltzmann Distribution
The activation energy is the minimum amount of energy required for a reaction to occur
between two colliding particles. Only particles with energy greater than or equal to the
activation energy will be able to react. The particles must also collide with the correct
orientation.
For gases, the relative energies of the particles can be plotted on a Boltzmann distribution
graph. There are several key points to remember about Boltzmann distributions:
● The area under the curve is equal to the total number of particles present.
● No particles have no energy. The curve must start at (0,0).
● There is no maximum energy.
● Only particles with energy above the activation energy have sufficient energy to
react when they collide.
The general shape of a Boltzmann distribution:
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Changing Temperature
Below is a Boltzmann distribution showing the relative energies of particles at two different
temperatures (T2 is a higher temperature than T1):
Increasing the temperature means the particles have more kinetic energy so there will be
more collisions in the same amount of time. Also, a greater proportion of the particles will
have energy above the activation energy (as seen in the Boltzmann distribution above),
meaning more of the collisions will result in a reaction. This means there will be more
frequent successful collisions so the rate of reaction will increase.
Catalysts
A catalyst is a substance which speeds up the rate of a reaction without being chemically
changed at the end of the reaction. A homogeneous catalyst is in the same phase as the
reactants while a heterogeneous catalyst is in a different phase to the reactants. In the
presence of a catalyst, a reaction has a different mechanism, with a lower activation
energy.
The Boltzmann distribution below shows the effect of catalysts:
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Enzymes
Enzymes are biological catalysts made of proteins. They increase the rate of reactions in
living cells. Enzymes are very specific (due to their specific shape) meaning they may only
catalyse one reaction.
The following reaction pathway diagram shows how the enzyme catalyst reduces the
activation energy of the reaction, so that the reaction is more likely to occur.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia,
CC BY 2.0
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