Question

Reaction Rates Prelab Questions: Name: Richele di Laage 1. Define the rate of reaction. What two values are needed? Chang in concentration over the change of time 2. Define activation energy. The minimum quantity of energy which the reacting species must possess in order to undergo a specified reaction 3. What are five factors that influence the rate of a reaction that are studied in this experiment? 4. What are the two parts of a reaction that are affected by those five factors and thus affect the rate of the reaction? 5. Reacting molecules or ions in a solution at room temperature are in constant motion and collide. Some collisions lead to a formation of product and some do not. What determines whether a reaction will take place?

Answer 1

1. The rate of reaction can be defined as the rate of change of reactant concentration with time

or

The rate with which the reactants are converted into products is called the rate of reaction.

Change in concentration and change in time are the two values needed to calculate the rate of a reaction.

The rate of reaction is generally a concept of chemical kinetics. The speed with which the reaction is carried out can be known by calculating the rate of a reaction.

Rate of a reaction generally given by

Rate = k dx / dt

Where 'k' is called the rate constant of the reaction

'dx' is the change in concentration of reactant after time 'dt'

2. Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy that must be required for the reactants to participate in a chemical reaction.

When a reaction is carried out between two reactants, they must possess some amount of minimum energy which can be given from outside. This minimum energy without which the reaction does not proceed between the reactants is the activation energy. In most of the cases, we heat the reaction mixture to give this activation energy to the reactants.