Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry Year 9 Topic 7
Chapter 7
Rate of chemical reactions
Rate of chemical reaction
The rate of chemical reaction is the measure of how fast a reaction takes place.
Some reactions are fast as explosions, others are slow as rusting
• The rate is the measure of the change that happens in a single unit of
time.
• In general: to find the rate of a reaction, you should measure the amount
of the reactant used up per unit of time or the amount of product produced
per unit of time.
Collision theory
Magnesium and dilute hydrochloric acid react together:
Mg (s) +2HCl (aq) MgCl2 (aq) +H2 (g)
In order for the magnesium and the acid particles to react together:
1. The particles must collide with each other.
2. The collision must have enough energy to be successful; in other words
enough energy to break bonds to allow reaction to occur. This is called
collision theory.
The particles in the liquid This collision has enough But this collision did not have
move non-stop. energy to break bonds. So it is enough energy, It was not
To react, an acid particle successful. successful.
must collide with a The particles react and new No bonds were broken.
magnesium atom, bonds bonds form, giving magnesium The acid particle just bounced
chloride and hydrogen. away again.
must break.
If there are lots of successful collisions in a given minute, then a lot of hydrogen
is produced in that minute. In other words, the rate of reaction is high. If there are
not many, the rate of reaction is low.
The rate of the reaction depends on how many successful collisions are there in
each unit of time.
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Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry Year 9 Topic 7
1. Measuring the rate by measuring the volume of gas produced per unit time:
The reaction between magnesium and the excess dilute hydrochloric acid
Mg(s) + 2HCl (aq) MgCl2 (aq) + H2 (g)
Magnesium + hydrochloric acid magnesium chloride + hydrogen
Here the hydrogen is the easiest substance to measure because it is the only gas
in the produced in the reaction and can be collected in a gas syringe where
Steps
1- Clean the magnesium with sandpaper.
2- Put HCl in the flask.
3- Drop the magnesium in to the flask, insert stopper and syringe immediately.
4- Start the clock at the same time.
5- Hydrogen begins to bubble off. it rises the flask and into the gas syringe, pushing the
plunger out.
Volume measured and noted at certain intervals by a stop clock every half a
minute
Typical results
4½
Time / minutes 0 ½ 1 1½ 2 2½ 3 3½ 4 5 5½ 6 6½
Volume of
0 8 14 20 25 29 33 36 38 39 40 40 40 40
hydrogen /cm3
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Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry Year 9 Topic 7
total volume of hydrogen 40cm²
The average rate for the reaction = =
total time for the reaction 5 minutes
= 8 Cm2 of hydrogen per minute
The faster the reaction, the steeper the curve when the reaction is over the curve
goes flat
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Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry Year 9 Topic 7
The factors affecting the rate of the chemical reaction.
1- Concentration.
2- Temperature.
3- Size of particles (changing surface area).
4- Using a catalyst.
5- Pressure (applied in gaseous system only ).
6- Light (special reactions ) .
2. Measuring the decrease in mass of reactants with time :
1- Excess calcium carbonate (base) is added to dilute hydrochloric acid in an
open conical flask sitting on top of a pan balance.
2- Carbon dioxide produced escapes from the flask through cotton wool
3- Cotton wool prevents loss of reactants due to the splashing of the liquid
but allow carbon dioxide to escape.
4- The mass of the flask on the balance is noted at intervals by stop clock.
CaCO3 (s) + 2 HCl (aq) CaCl2 (aq) +CO2 (g) + H2O (l)
▪ The reaction is complete when all the limiting reactant is used up
(hydrochloric acid) no more decrease in mass is observed.
▪ When the reaction finish after 5 minutes the curve becomes flat ( plateau )
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Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry Year 9 Topic 7
3. Effect of concentration
Repeat the same experiment (A) using the same Mg ribbon and dilute
hydrochloric acid but different concentrations using twice the
concentration of acid in A.
Mg(s) + 2 HCl(aq) MgCl2(aq) + H2(g)
For fair test use
1. Same volume of acid
2. Temperature
3. Mass (size of magnesium ribbon must be same in A and B)
Notice these things about the results:
1) Curve B is steeper than curve A. So the reaction was faster for B.
2) In B, the reaction lasts for 60 seconds. In A it lasts for 120 seconds.
3) Both reactions produced 60 cm3 of hydrogen. Do you agree?
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4) So, in B the average rate was 1 cm3 of hydrogen per second. (60 ÷ 60) In
A it was 0.5 cm3 of hydrogen per second. (60 ÷ 120)
The average rate in B was twice the average rate in A.
So in this example, doubling the concentration doubled the rate.
The reaction goes faster when the concentration of one of the reactants is increased;
this means that you slow down the reaction by decreasing the concentration.
4. Effect of temperature
The effect is examined here by reacting Sodium Thiosulphate with
hydrochloric acid. The formation of yellow precipitate of Sulphur is used to
measure the rate of the reaction.
Na2S2O3 (aq) + 2HCl (aq) 2NaCl (aq) +S(s) +SO2(g)+H2O(l)
1) Mark a cross on a piece of paper.
2) Place a beaker containing Sodium Thiosulphate solution on top of the
paper so that you can see the cross through it from above.
3) Quickly add hydrochloric acid, start a clock at the same time, and
measure the temperature of the mixture.
4) The cross goes fainter as the precipitate forms, stop the clock the moment
you can no longer see the cross and note the time.
5) Now: repeat steps (1-4) 4 times changing only the temperature and
keeping all the variants constant. You do this by heating the sodium
Thiosulphate solution to different temperatures.
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The higher the temperature the faster the cross disappears.
• The cross disappears when enough Sulphur has formed to hide it , this took
200 seconds at 20°c but only 50 seconds at 40°c so the reaction is four times
faster at 40°c than at 20°c.
• A reaction goes faster when the temperature is raised. When the temperature
increases by 10°c the rate generally doubles.
Why rate increases with temperature?
As temperature increase particles move faster. So they collide more
frequently.
5. Effect of particle size (surface area):
• Reaction between same masses of calcium carbonate but with different
particle size
1) Small chips ( larger surface area )
2) Large chips (smaller surface area) with equal volumes of hydrochloric
acid for fair comparison.
CaCO3 (s) + 2HCl (aq) CaCl2 (aq) + CO2 (g) +H2O (L)
Carbon dioxide escapes against certain time which is noted and the
decrease in mass which is recorded.
The method:
1. Place the marble in the flask and add the acid.
2. Quickly plug the flask with cotton wool to stop any liquid
splashing out. Then weigh it, starting the clock at the same time.
3. Note the mass at regular intervals until the reaction is complete.
4. Carbon dioxide is a heavy gas. It escapes through the cotton wool,
which means that the flask gets lighter as the reaction proceeds. So
by weighing the flask at regular intervals, you can follow the rate
of reaction.
5. The experiment is repeated twice. Everything is kept exactly the
same each time, except the surface area of the marble chips.
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1. Curve A is steeper than curve B, reaction is faster with smaller chips.
2. In both experiments the final loss in mass is 2.0 grams.
2.0 grams of carbon dioxide is produced
3. Small chips reaction is complete in 4 minutes, while large chips reaction is
complete after 6 minutes.
Rate of reaction increases when the surface area of the solid (reactant) is
increased (the smaller the particle size the larger surface area) because the
particles collide with each other more frequently
6. Catalysts increase the rate of the reactions :
• A catalyst:
Is a substance that speeds up the rate of the chemical reaction (by
lowering activation energy) but remains chemically unchanged itself.
• Catalysts never produce more product – they just produce the same
amount more quickly.
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• Remember: transition metals and their compounds are famous as catalysts
example the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide
The Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide
a) Hydrogen peroxide is a colorless liquid that break down very slowly to
water and oxygen.
2H2O2 (l) 2H2O (l) + O2 (g)
Steps
1. Pour some hydrogen peroxide into three measuring cylinders. The first
one is the control.
2. Add manganese (IV) oxide to the second and raw liver to the third.
3. Now use a glowing wooden splint to test the cylinders for oxygen. The
splint will burst into flame if there is enough oxygen present.
Manganese (IV) oxide
Since hydrogen peroxide makes the reaction go Raw liver also speeds it up.
breaks down very slowly, thousands of times faster. The liquid froths as the
there is not enough oxygen The splint bursts into flame. oxygen bubbles off – and
to relight the splint. the splint relights.
4. If a catalyst called Manganese (IV) oxide MnO2 (black solid) is added
to the decomposition the process takes place very rapid ͢ rapid
effervescence of oxygen gas is produced.
5. The mixture is filtered, wash residues with distilled water and dries the
solid (MnO2) and reweigh it, the mass of manganese (IV) oxide
(MnO2) didn’t change after the reaction finishes.
6. Increasing the mass of the catalyst or using powdered catalyst
increases the rate of the reaction; this is because the catalyst in both
cases has larger surface area.
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Catalysts & collision theory, catalyst helps getting the reactant particles close
to each other (reacting in a way that requires less energy ) during chemical
reaction it also lowers the activation energy of the reaction ensuring more
successful collision
Enzymes: (biological catalysts)
1. Enzymes are proteins made by cells in living organisms.
2. Temperature and PH sensitive: as enzymes denature at high temperature
and if placed in strong acids and alkalis .Enzymes are inactive at cold
temperature.
3. Reaction specific: (amylase enzyme in saliva) speed up the breakdown of
starch in your food.
Industrial Ammonia Sulphuric acid Hardening Cracking of
process production contact process of oils oils
Catalyst Iron Vanadium(V) Nickel Aluminum oxide
oxide
The more catalyst the faster reaction.
7. The effect of light
(Photochemical reaction):
Some reactions needs light to start the reaction these are called
photochemical reactions,
(1) Photosynthesis
(2) Reactions that occur in film photography
Photosynthesis:
Reaction between carbon dioxide and water in the presence of
chlorophyll and sunlight to produce glucose and oxygen.
6CO2(g)+6H2O(l) C6H12O6(aq)+6O2(g)
Glu
cos
▪ Chlorophyll is the green pigment in
leaves is a catalyst for the reaction.
e
▪ Sunlight provides energy for this endothermic reaction.
▪ Photosynthesis can be speeded up by increasing the light intensity.
Respiration is the reverse of photosynthesis; this is an exothermic process. It is
the production of energy from food by living things (cells)
Glucose + oxygen carbon dioxide + water + energy.
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C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O
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