Rate Of Reaction Essay

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The rate of reaction is how quickly or slowly reactants in chemical reactants turn into products. A low reaction rate is when the reaction takes a long time to take place; hence, a reaction that occurs quickly has a high reaction rate. A rate refers to how slow or quick the product is produced. It is possible to control the rate of chemical reactions and speed up or slow down the rate of chemical reactions by altering three main factors which are temperature, concentration and the surface area. When the temperature of the reactants increases, the molecules vibrate at a more intense speed therefore colliding with each other more frequently and with increased energy resulting in a greater rate of reaction. Accordingly, as the temperature decreases the molecules will move slower, colliding less frequently and with decreased energy resulting in the rate of reaction decreasing. Concentration is how much solute is dissolved into a solution and is also a factor that affects the rate of reaction. When the concentration is greater this means there is an increased amount of reactant atoms and molecules resulting in a higher chance that collisions between molecules will occur. A higher collision rate means a higher reaction rate. Consequently at lower concentrations there are reduced chances of the molecules colliding resulting in a lower reaction rate. The measurement of how much an area of a solid is exposed is called the surface area. The quicker a reaction will occur the more finely divided the solid is. For example, a powdered solid will usually have a greater rate of reaction in comparison to a solid lump that contains the same mass for it has a lower surface area than the powdered solid. To control the rate of hydrocarbon combustion ... ... middle of paper ... ...ons have the ability to hurt the economy fatally. Victorian bushfires take a total of $4,369,000,000 out of the government’s money.3 With the expenses of property damage, loss of livestock, death of citizens, forest destruction, recovery, carbon release and infrastructure damage. To control the rates of chemical reactions is imperative to the continued existence of our species. Controlled chemical reactions allow us to move forward in society, constantly. We find new ways to provide light and heat our homes, cook our food, and pursue in crafts that benefit our society. There are, however, just as there are advantages, disadvantages to the efficiency of controlling the rate of reactions, which in some cases can be fatal to our scientific development and progression. The growth of humankind necessitates that we must be able to control the rate of chemical reactions.

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