Factors Affecting Reaction Rates and Acid/Base Chemistry

Flashcards generated from lecture notes on chemical reactions for exam review.

Temperature and Reaction Rate

Increases temperature, increases the rate of reaction by increasing the velocity of particles, leading to more collisions.

Concentration and Reaction Rate

Increasing concentration increases the rate of reaction by increasing the number of particles per unit volume, leading to more collisions.

Catalyst

A substance that increases the rate of reaction (k) by providing an energy pathway with a lower activation energy.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst.

Inhibitor

Slows the rate of reaction by blocking the activation site.

Acids

Have a sour taste, change the color of acid-base indicators, and react with metals.

Bases

Have a bitter taste, a slippery feel, change the color of acid-base indicators and are electrolytes.

Nature of Reactants

Depends on the particular reactant and product conditions.

Surface Area and Reaction Rate

Increasing surface area (smaller pieces) increases the rate by increasing the number of reactants in contact, leading to more collisions.

Arrhenius Acid

A substance that increases the concentration of hydrogen ion (H+) or hydronium ion (H3O+).

Arrhenius Base

A substance that increases the concentration of hydroxide ions (OH-).

Bronsted-Lowry Acid

A molecule or ion that is a proton donor.

Bronsted-Lowry Base

A molecule or ion that is a proton acceptor.

Conjugate Acid

A species that remains after a base has accepted a proton.

Conjugate Base

A species that remains after an acid has donated a proton.

Conjugate Acid-Base Pair

The stronger the acid, the weaker the conjugate base; the stronger the base, the weaker the conjugate acid.

Amphoteric

A species that can act as both an acid and a base.