Exhaustive Study Notes on the Five Factors Affecting Rates of Reaction

Date of Record: 24/4/20
Primary Subject: Rates of Reaction.
Core Objective: Identifying the five factors that influence and affect the speed of chemical reactions.

Lowering Activation Energy ( $E_a$ ): A catalyst functions by providing an alternative reaction pathway that possesses a lower activation energy than the uncatalyzed route.
Reaction Speed: By decreasing the energy barrier, the catalyst speeds up the rate at which products are formed.
Universal Application: This principle applies across all reactions where a suitable catalyst can be employed to facilitate the process.

Particle Count: Concentration refers to the number of reactant particles present within a specific volume of solution.
Solute Particles: Increasing the concentration equates to having more particles in solution.
Collision Rate: With a higher density of particles, there is a physical increase in the number of collisions occurring between reactants.
Direct Proportion: More frequent collisions lead to a faster reaction rate.

Energy States: Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles involved in the reaction.
Higher Energy Levels: As the temperature increases, the particles gain higher energy.
Collision Frequency: Elevated energy levels lead to a higher frequency of collisions.
Successful Collisions: Because particles are moving faster and with more force, the likelihood of collisions resulting in a reaction increases significantly.

Exposed Solid Particles: This factor pertains specifically to solid reactants; increasing the surface area means more solid particles are exposed and available for reaction.
Frequency of Contact: When more particles are exposed, there is a higher frequency of collisions between the solid and other reactants.
Impact on All Reactions: The increase in exposed surface area effectively creates more collisions in all applicable solid-state reactions.

Gaseous States: Pressure acts as a primary rate-altering factor for reactions involving gases.
Proximity: Applying pressure forces the gas particles closer together within a confined space.
Increased Collisions: Because the particles are packed more tightly, the probability of collisions increases, leading to more collisions and a corresponding increase in the rate of reaction.