Rate of Reaction Investigation
Plan
In this experiment I will be investigating the rate of reaction and
the time taken for a 1cm strip of magnesium to entirely disappear in a
container of hydrochloric acid. The equation for this reaction is
magnesium + hydrochloric acid or
Mg(s) + 2HCL = MgCl2 (aq) + H2 (g)
For experiment my input variable will be the concentration of
Hydrochloric acid, so I will be using a concentration scale of 1-2 mol
dm-3.
My prediction is that the higher the concentration of hydrochloric
acid the faster the rate of reaction will be.
Below is a graph showing my predicted results:
I am basing my prediction on the premises that when the solution of
water and hydrochloric acid is dilute there are less hydrochloric acid
molecules in the solution. Making it is less likely that they collide
with the magnesium particles decreasing the speed of the reaction;
therefore the more concentrated the solution is the more hydrochloric
acid molecules there are and therefore there will be more reactions as
these molecules or particles collide with the magnesium. Collision
states that for a chemical reaction to occur particles must collide
with sufficient energy. The minimum energy required by particles is
known as the activation energy.
For this experiment I will require the following equipment:
Stop clock, measuring cylinder, syringe, beaker, hydrochloric acid,
sand paper, magnesium, diluted water and goggles.
The experiment will be set up as shown below:
· I will make the solution required using diluted water and
hydrochloric acid
· The concentration of this solution will vary as it is my input
variable
· The solution will be prepared in a beaker.
· I shall then sand down the 1cm magnesium strip so as to remove the
coating as it will affect the experiment and make it unfair.
· When the coating is completely removed I can drop the magnesium into
the solution at the same time as I start the stop clock.