What will the reactant and product concentration curve look like over time?
Click the button to start the synthesis reaction.
Reaction rate
Reaction rate refers to the degree to which a chemical reaction occurs quickly or slowly. The rate of reaction in a solution is expressed by measuring the concentration of a reactant or product over a period of time.
If there is a certain amount of reactants in a certain container and the reactants cause a chemical reaction by themselves, the reaction rate becomes slow because the concentration of the reactants decreases as the reaction occurs.
If you plot this as a graph, it is the same as the simulation above, and the gentler the slope of the curve, the slower the response speed.
Methods to speed up reaction
1. Increase concentration of solution
In order for a chemical reaction to occur, the particles participating in the reaction must collide with each other. If the concentration of reactants is high, the number of particles colliding with each other increases. The more collisions between the reacting particles, the faster the reaction rate.
2. Raise the temperature
For most chemical reactions to take place, atoms or molecules must collide at sufficient speed. The higher the temperature, the more gases that reach the minimum impact speed required for a chemical reaction. Therefore, the higher the temperature, the better the chemical reaction takes place.
3. Mix the solution well
Mixing the solution well can also speed up the reaction. It is effective when the temperature is very low and the particles do not move well.
4. Increase the surface area
If the particles can meet each other over a wide range, it can speed up the reaction. Powdered sugar dissolves better than hard candy. The reason most biological cells are small is to increase their surface area to facilitate material exchange.
5. Using catalyst
If an appropriate substance (catalyst) is added to aid in the chemical reaction, the chemical reaction rate increases.