Chemistry unit 6.2: Rate of chemical reactions

What should happen for substances to react with each other?

Their particles must collide with one another

What is activation energy?

The amount of energy required to start up a reaction

Why would reactions such as magnesium reacting with hydrochloric acid take place easily?

Because the reaction has a low activation energy

How can we change the rate of a reaction

Altering the energy of the particles and/or how often they collide

What should we do to change the rate of reaction

Altering the temp, concentration and surface area

What can we use to change the rate of reaction

Catalysts

Why do particles react faster when in heat?

Because the molecules move faster and collide with each other faster and more, plus they have more energy when they colllide, making them more likely to react

Why do concentrated solutions react faster?

The particles are closer together, meaning when another substance is added, collisions will most likely take place

Why do substances with a larger surface area react more quickly

Increases the amount of particles that can be hit by other reactants

What are castalysts

Substances that change the rate of reaction without being used up

How do catalysts work?

By lowering the amount of activation energy required

What are inhibitors

Catalysts that slow down reactions

What are enzymes?

Biological catalysts that work at specific temperatures.