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Rates of reaction
Rate of a chemical reaction:

Is the amount of a reactant used up or product produced in a reaction per unit time

FACTORS THAT AFFECT A CHEMICAL REACTION

There are about four factors that affect a chemical change/reaction. These are:
1. A catalyst
2. Temperature
3. Concentration
4. Pressure
5. Surface area of the reactants

1. Concentration:
If the concentration of the reactant is increased, frequent molecular collisions will
increase leading to increase in the rate reaction.
2. Temperature:
Increasing the temperature increases reaction rates because of the
disproportionately large increase in the number of high energy collisions. It is
only these collisions (possessing at least the activation energy for
the reaction) which result in a reaction.

3. Surface area:
Increasing the surface area of a solid reactant exposes more of its particles
to attack. This results in an increased chance of collisions between reactant
particles, so there are more collisions in any given time and the rate of
reaction increases. The surface of a solid can be increased by crushing a
substance into a powder or by reducing its particle size.

4. Pressure:
This affects gaseous reactions since gases unlike solids are compressible.
Increasing pressure on gases brings reactant particles close to each other increasing
the frequency of collision and hence the rate of reaction. Pressure can be increased by
decreasing the volume of the container. For example, in the Haber process, a large
yield of ammonia is obtained from high pressure as per the following reaction.

5. Catalyst: increases the rate of reaction by lowering activation energy or energy

barrier to the reaction.
By definition
A catalyst is substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself
undergoing any permanent chemical change.

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Exercise
1 Curve in the graph below shows the variation in mass of calcium carbonate
powder with time when it reacted with excess hydrochloric acid at room
temperature

Mass of
calcium
carbonate P

time

To obtain curve Q, one would keep all conditions the same except
A. Increase the concentration of the acid
B. Increase the mass of the carbonate powder
C. Reduce temperature
D. Use the same mass of marble chips
2. The figure below shows the graphs obtained when equal amounts of marble chips
of different sizes were reacted with excess 2M hydrochloric acid at room
temperature.
Carbon dioxide (cm3)

II
IV I
III
Volume of

Time (s)
Which one of the graphs represents the reaction of marble chips with the smallest
particle size?
A. I
B. II
C. III
D. IV

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3. The graph below shows the variation in the volume of
hydrogen evolved with time when excess zinc was reacted
dilute sulphuric acid using copper (II) sulphate as a
catalyst

Q
P
Volume of
Hydrogen
evolved

Time
Which one of the following is the best explanation for the
shape of the graph between P and Q?
A. A layer of insoluble oxide formed on zinc sulphate
B The reaction become faster
C. Sulphuric acid was used up
D. the catalyst was used up
4. Hydrogen peroxide decomposes according to the
following equation
2H2O2(aq) 2H2O(l) + O2(g)
Which one of the following graphs represent, how the
concentration of the reactants varies with time during the
reaction?

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5. Which one of the following graphs shows the variation of
the volume of carbon dioxide evolved with time when
calcium carbonate is reacted with dilute hydrochloric acid

6. Curve Y in diagram shows the results that were obtained

during the investigation of the rate of the reaction
between iron and dilute hydrochloric acid under normal
conditions. Curve X and Z were obtained when some
conditions of the experiment were changed.

Mass of
Flask and
its content
Z
Y
X
M

Time (min)
(a) (i) List three condition that were changed to obtain curve X (3marks)
(ii) State what point M represent ( ½ mark)
(b) Some conditions you have listed in (a)(i) were changed to
obtained curve Z.
(i) State the condition changed (01mark)
(ii) Give a reason for your answer
7. Sodium thiosulphate reacts with hydrochloric acid
according to the following equation
S2O32-(aq) + 2H+(aq) H2O(l) + SO2(g) +S(s)
(a) State what would be observed if dilute hydrochloric acid ( ½ mark)
is added to sodium thiosulphate solution
(b) The rate of reaction with dilute acids is affected by the
concentration of sodium thiosulphate.
(i) State one other factor other than concentration that can ( ½ mark)
affect the rate of reaction

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 (ii) Briefly explain the effect of the factor you have state in (02mark)
(b)(i) on the rate of reaction.
(iii) Describe an experiment can be carried out in the (6 ½ marks)
laboratory to show the effect of the factor on have stated
in (b)(i) on the rate of reaction. Diagram not required)
8. State and explain the effect of each of the following
conditions on the rate of chemical reaction.
(a) Particle size (04marks
(b) Concentration of reactants (05 msrks)
(c) Temperature (06marks)
9. The table shows the variation in the concentration of
sodium thiosulphate with time.
Time (s) 200 100 40 20 10
Concentration of 0.05 0.09 0.15 0.20 0.25
thiosulphate
(moldm-3)
⁄ of
thiosulphate (mold-
1
m-3)
(i) Determine the values of ⁄ of thiosulphate, (01mark)
copy the table and enter your answer in the space
provided in the table.
(ii) Plot a graph of ⁄ of thiosulphate (vertical (03marks)
axis) against time (horizontal axis.
(iii) State any conclusion that can be drawn from the shape of (1 ½ marks)
the graph.

10. (a) (i) Write an equation for the reaction between dilute nitric (1 ½ mark)
acid and calcium carbonate
(ii) State how temperature can affect the rate of reaction in (01mark)
(a)(i) above
(iii) Give a reason why a large surface area of calcium (2 marks)
carbonate can speed up rate of reaction in (a)(i)
(b) Magnesium can react with hydrochloric acid to form (2 ½ marks)
hydrogen. State the conditions and write equation for the
reaction
(c) The table below shows the volume of hydrogen evolved
when various lengths of magnesium ribbon were reacted
with fixed volume of hydrochloric acid
Length of ribbon (cm) 1.0 2.0 3.0 5.0 6.0
Volume of hydrogen 2.2 3.6 5.2 9.2 10.8
(cm3/min)
(i) Plot a graph of volume of hydrogen (vertical axis) against (5marks)
length of magnesium ribbon (horizontal axis)
(ii) Explain the shape of the graph you have drawn. (2marks)
(iii) Using your graph, determine the rate of reaction if 4.0cm (01mark)
of magnesium ribbon was used
11. Oxygen is formed from hydrogen peroxide in the
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 presence of Manganese dioxide according to the
following equation
2H2O2(aq) MnO2 2H2O(l) + O2(g)

(a) In an experiment, a certain volume of hydrogen peroxide

was used to prepare oxygen at room temperature.
With the aid of a suitable diagram describe how the
following can be determined.
(i) The volume of oxygen evolved (5 ½ marks)
(ii) The rate of evolution of oxygen (03marks)
(b) In another experiment one half of volume of hydrogen (03marks)
peroxide in (a) was diluted with equal volume of water.
On the same axes draw graphs to show the variation of
volume of oxygen with time in (a) and (b).
(c) Oxygen produced from 200cm3 of 0.5M hydrogen (3 ½ marks)
peroxide solution was reacted completely with
magnesium.
Calculate the mass of magnesium that reacted
12. (a) Define the term rate of reaction (02marks)
(b) The table below shows variation of hydrogen evolved
with time when dilute hydrochloric acid was added to
excess zinc.

Volume of 0 20 35 46 56 72 79 79
hydrogen (cm3)
Time (s) 0 10 20 30 40 60 80 90

Plot a graph of volume hydrogen evolved against time (05mrks)

(c) Using the graph determine the time taken to collect 60cm3 (01mark)
of hydrogen gas
(d) (i) Draw tangents on your graph at points when the time is (04marks)
20 and 60 seconds and determine the gradient of each
tangent.
(ii) Compare the rate of reaction at 20 and 60seconds. Explain (03marks)
your answer
13. The graph in figure below shows the variation of volume
of hydrogen evolved with time when excess magnesium
was added to 100cm3 of 1.0M sulphuric at room
temperature.

Volume of
Hydrogen
evolved

Time
(a) Calculate the number of moles of hydrogen ions that is
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 contained in 100cm3 of
(i) A 0.5M H2SO4 (01mark)
(ii) A 1.0M H2SO4 (01mark)
(b) (i) Sketch on the same axes of the graph in figure above the (01mark)
graph that would be obtained if the same mass of
magnesium was added to 100cm3 of a 0.5M sulphuric
acid at room temperature.
(ii) Mark on the graph the times the two reactions have (01mark)
reached completion.
(iii) Compare the time the reaction took to reach completion (01mark0
when 0.5M sulphuric acid was used to that when 1.0M
sulphuric acid was used
14. (a) Describe an experiment to show how surface area can 11 ½
affect the rate of reaction between calcium carbonate and
2M hydrochloric acid. Your answer must include:
 A labelled diagram of apparatus
 Sketch of expected graph
 Mention how the graph can be used to reach a
conclusion.
(b) Briefly explain why, when 4M hydrochloric acid was (2½ marks)
used instead of the 2M acid, the rate of reaction was
faster. Explain this observation.
(c) State one other factor than mentioned above that can (01mmark)
affect the rate of reaction between hydrochloric acid and
calcium carbonate
15. (a) What is meant by the rate of reaction? (02marks)
(b) State how the following factors affect the rate of a
chemical reaction:
(i) Temperature
(ii) Surface area of the reactants
(c) The table below shows the volume of hydrogen collected
at various time intervals when magnesium was reacted
with a 2M hydrochloric acid

Time (s) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Volume of 0 25 45 60 70 75 77 77
hydrogen
collected (cm3)
(i) Plot a graph of volume of hydrogen versus time (04 marks)
(ii) Determine the rate of reaction at 3 seconds (02marks)
(iii) Determine the volume of hydrogen evolved at 3.5 seconds (01mark)
(d) State how the rate of reaction at 3 seconds would be (02marks)
affected if a 1M hydrochloric acid was used
16. When a certain volume of 0.1M hydrochloric acid was
reacted at room temperature with excess iron fillings,
120cm3 of the gas were produced.
(a) Draw a labelled diagram to show how the rate of reaction
was determined

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 (b) Write equation for the reaction that took place
(c) Calculate the
(i) Volume of hydrochloric acid required to produce 120cm3
of the gas
(ii) The mass of iron filling that reacted
(d) Draw a sketch graph of the volume of the gas against time
(e) State how the rate of reaction would change if the reaction
was carried out at a temperature above room temperature
17. (a) State the factors that can affect the rate of chemical
reaction.
(b) A mixture of a known mass of magnesium and a certain
volume of 2M hydrochloric acid were put in a conical
flask and the mass of the mixture was recorded at various
intervals. The results of the experiment are shown in the
graph below.

On the same axes, draw a graph that would be obtained

when same mass of magnesium was reacted with the
same volume of 1M hydrochloric acid.

(c) 5.0g of calcium carbonate was reacted with 20cm3 of 2M

hydrochloric acid.
(i) Write equation for the reaction between hydrochloric acid
and calcium carbonate
(ii) The mass of calcium carbonate that was left.
(Ca = 40, C = 12, O =16)
18. (a) (i) What is the rate of reaction?
(ii) How does the particle size affect rate of reaction? Explain
your answer
(b) The table of results shows the time taken for sulphur to
form when various concentrations of sodium thiosulphate
were used.
Concentration of 0.2 0.6 0.8 1.2 1.6
2-
S2O3 (M)
Time for sulphur to 60 20 15 10 7.5
form (s)
⁄ (s-1) 0.017 0.05 0.07 0.10 0.13

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 Plot a graph of ⁄ on vertical axis against concentration
of thiosulphate.
(c) (i) Explain the relationship between the rate of the reaction
and ⁄ .
(ii) Deduce from the graph, how the rate of reaction varies
with the concentration of thiosulphate.
(d) Name one reagent that you would use to test for sulphur
dioxide and state what would be observed if the reagent
was used.
19. In an experiment to determine the rate of reaction
between zinc and sulphuric acid, dilute sulphuric acid was
reacted with zinc granules to which some copper II
sulphate solution was added. The volume of hydrogen gas
evolved at various
Time in minutes 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
3
Vol. of gas in cm 0 10 21 26.5 31.5 32 32
(a) (i) What is the role copper (II) sulphate solution?
(ii) Write ionic equation for the reaction above
(iii) Explain what would happen to the reaction if zinc
granules were replaced with zinc powder.
(b) (i) Plot the graph of volume of hydrogen evolved (vertical)
against time (horizontal axis)
(ii) Describe how you would determine the rate of reaction at
12 minutes.
(iii) Compare the rate of reaction at 12 minutes with that at 20
minutes. Give reason for your answer
(iv) What happens to the shape of the after 24 minutes?
Explain your answer

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Marking guide
1. A 2. D 3. C 4. A 5. D
6. (a) (i) Note that - the rate of reaction in curve X is higher than in curve Y,
- The initial and final mass in X and Y is the same implying
that the mass of iron was not changed
Thus, to increase the rate of reaction
- temperature was increased
- particle size of iron was reduced
- the concentration acid was increased
(b) (i) The concentration of the acid was reduce
(ii) The initial mass is the same but final mass in Z is higher suggesting that
not all the iron reacted due to insufficient acid in the volume added.
7. (a) Yellow solid and chocking gas
(b) (i) Temperature
(ii) The temperature increases the rate of reaction by increasing the rate of
collision high energetic molecules.
(iii) Two experiments are curried out using equal volumes of thiosulphate and
acid of the same concentration.

In one experiment the temperature of thiosulphate is kept at room

temperature while for the other the temperature is raised to 600C.

When acid is added to thiosulphate, the yellow suspension form earlier in

thiosulphate solution at 600C that that at room temperature. This indicates
that the reaction is faster at higher temperature than at low temperature.
8. Refer to page 1
9. (i) Time (s) 200 100 40 20 10
Concentration of thiosulphate 0.05 0.09 0.15 0.20 0.25
(moldm-3)
⁄ of 20 11 7 5 4
thiosulphate (mold-1m-3)
(ii)

(ii) Rate of reaction increases as concentration increase

(Note that the recipricol of concentration is dilution, and dilute solution
takes long to form cloudness)

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10. (a) (i) CaCO3(s) + 2HNO3 (aq) Ca(NO3)2(s) + CO2(g) + H2O(l)
(ii) Temperature increases the rate of reaction
(iii) Increase in surface area increases the rate of reaction by increasin the
probability of contact between the liquid and the solid
(b) (i) Heat
Contentration of hydrogen
(c) (i)

(ii) The rate of production of hydrogen increases with the lengnt of

magnesium ribblon up to 5cm when the acid become insufficient that
increase in rate decreases.
(iii) At 4.0 cm the rate is 7.3cm3/minute
11. (a) The setup is as shown below

Frictionless piston

Hydrogen peroxide is added to manganese (IV) oxide and immediately

stop clock started. The amount ox oxygen produced in graduated syringe
in a given time is noted.
(ii) Rate of production of oxygen =

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(b)

undiluted H2O2

Vol
of O2 Diluted H2O2

time
Note that dulution of hydrogen peroxide reduces the rate of production
of oxygen and the maximum volume of oxygen produced.
(c) Mole of hydrogen peroxide =
Moles of hydrogen produced
2mole of hydrogen peroxide produce 1 mole of oxygen
 0.1 mole of hydrogen peroxide produce
Mole of magnesium that reacted
2Mg(s) + O2 (g) 2MgO(s)
From equation
2 mole of O2 react with (2x24 = 48g of magnesium
 0.05mole of O2 react with

12 (a) Rate of reaction is the amount of products produced per unit time
(b)

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 (d) (i) At 20 second
Rate =

At 60 seconds
Rate =

(ii) The rate at 20 seconds is higher than at 60 seconds because the

concentration of the reactants decrease as time goes on.
13 (a) (i) 1000cm3 contain 0.5 moles
 100 cm3 cotains
(ii) 1000cm3 contain 1 moles
100 cm3 cotains
(i)
&
(ii) 1M H2SO4

Vol
of H2 0.5M H2SO4

time

(i) The reaction with 0.5M sulphuric acid takes longer because the reaction is
slower. Since the concentration of aicd is lower.
14 Experiment set up is shown below

Hydrochloric acid Frictionless piston

Calcium carbonate

Two experiements are carried out using equal masses of calcium

carbonate chips and calcium carbonate power and equal volumes of acid.

In each case the volume of carbon dioxide produced at intervals of time is

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 measured.
A plot of the graph of the volume of carbon dioxide by calcium carbonate
chips and calcium carbonate powder with time is given below

Carbon dioxide (cm3)

Volume of

Calcium carbonate powder

Calcium carbonate chips

Time (s)
Conclusion
The graphs whow that the rate of reaction is higher with calcium
carbonate poweder than with chips.
(b) The rate of reaction is higher with 4M hydrochloric acid than 2M
hydrochloric acid because high concentration of the acid increases the rate
of collision between calcium carbonate molecules and acid molecules.
(c) Catalyst
15 (a) The rate of reaction produce in a unit time
(b) (i) Temperature
Increasing the temperature increases reaction rates because of the
disproportionately large increase in the number of high energy collisions.
It is only these collisions (possessing at least the activation energy for
the reaction) which result in a reaction.
(ii) Surface area:
Increasing the surface area of a solid reactant exposes more of its particles
to attack. This results in an increased chance of collisions between
reactant particles, so there are more collisions in any given time and
the rate of reaction increases. The surface of a solid can be increased by
crushing it into a powder.

(c) (i)

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 (ii) Rate at 3.0 s =
(d) Would decrease
16 (a) Experiment set up is shown below

Hydrochloric acid
Frictionless piston

Iron fillings

Hydrochloric acid is added to iron fillings and immediately a stop clock is

sterted and the volume (V) of hydrogen is recorded in a given time (t)

Rate =
(b) Fe(s) + 2HCl(aq) FeCl2(aq) + H2(g)
(c) (i) Moles of HCL that reacted
24000cm3 at room temperature of hydrogen require 2 moles of hydrogen
120cm3 of hydrogen will require
Volume of hydrochloric acid
Remember that molarity is the moles in 1000 cm3
 0.1moles of HCl are contained in1000cm3
And 0.01mole of HCl will be in

(ii) Mass of iron fillings

2moles of HCl react with 56g
 0.01 mole of HCl react with
(d) A graph of volume of hydrogen liberated against time

Volume of
Hydrogen
evolved

Time
(e) The rate increases

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17 (a) - temperature
- concentration
- catalyst
- surface area
(b)

1M HCl

2M HCl

Note that the rate is slower with 1M HCl due to reduced concentration.

(c) (i) CaCO3(s) + 2HCl (aq) CaCl2(aq) + CO2(g) + H2O(l)

(ii) Moles of HCl

Remember molority is number of mole in 1000cm3 of solution
1000cm3 contain 2moles
20cm3 contain
Moles of calcium carbonate that reacted
2mole of HCl that reacted
2moles of HCl react with 1 mole of CaCO3
 0.04mole reacted with = 0.02 moles of CaCO3

Mass of CaCO3 that reacted

Rfm of CaCO3 = 40 + 12 + 16 x 3 = 100g

1 moles of CaCO3 = 100g

0.2 moles = 0.02 x100 = 2g

Mass of CaCO3 left = 5 -2 =3g

18 (a) (i) The rate of reaction is the amount of product produced or amount of
reactants used up in agiven time
(ii) The smaller the particle sizes, the bigger the surface area and the faster the
reaction due to increased chance of collision between the reactant.

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(b)

(c) (i) 1/t is directly proportional to the rate of reaction

(ii) The rate is prortional to the concentration of thiosulphate ions

(d) Acidified potassium dichromate changes from orange to green

19 (a) (i) Catalyse the reaction

(ii) Zn(s) + 2H+(aq) Zn2+(aq) + H2(g)

(iii) The rate of reaction increase to increase in surface area and chances of
collision of ractants
(b) (i)

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 (ii) Determine the gradient of the targent drawn at 12 minutes
i.e
(iii) The rate of reaction is higher at 12 minutes than at 20 minutes because at
20 minutes the amount of reactants has decreased
(iv) Became constant because the reactants are used.

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