Chemistry Class: Factors Affecting Reaction Rate

Factors Affecting Reaction Rate

• Reaction rate is the speed at which reactants turn into products.
• Increasing the rate of a reaction can be achieved by altering factors influencing particle interactions.
• Reducing the rate can also occur by modifying the same factors.

Collision Theory

• Collision theory proposes particles must collide to react.
• The correct orientation and sufficient energy are crucial for successful collisions.
• The rate of collisions directly impacts the reaction rate.

Temperature Effects

• Increasing temperature enhances particle kinetic energy and frequency of collisions, accelerating reaction rate.
• Lowering temperature reduces particle kinetic energy and collision frequency, slowing reaction rate.

Concentration Impacts

• Higher concentration means more particles in a given volume, leading to increased collision frequency, thus speeding up the reaction.
• Lower concentration results in fewer particle collisions and slower reaction rate.

Surface Area Influence

• Smaller pieces of reactants offer larger surface areas, increasing the area available for collisions, thus accelerating reaction rate.
• Larger pieces of reactants provide less surface area, decreasing collision frequency, and slowing the reaction rate.

Catalysts Role

• Catalysts are substances that speed up reactions without undergoing permanent change.
• Catalysts provide alternative reaction pathways with lower activation energy requirements.
• Enzymes are biological catalysts.
• Enzymes enhance reaction rate and enable biological processes to occur at appropriate speeds.
• Enzymes are highly specific; they typically catalyze only one type of reaction.