Catalysts - Higher

Learning targets:

Grade Knowledge Target Skills Target

D/C Describe the effects of a Describe your variables and how you
catalyst. made your investigation a fair test.
B/A Explain why catalysts are Suggest ways to improve control
important to industry. measures and ways to control risk.
A/A* Evaluate the uses of catalysts Evaluate the success of the
in the chemical industry experiment and suggest improvements
 Catalysts are substances which speed up a chemical reaction but are not
used up in the reaction.

 In this investigation, you will be looking at catalysts which might speed up

the reaction between zinc and hydrochloric acid.

zinc + hydrochloric acid → zinc chloride + hydrogen

Zn + HCl → ZnCl2 + H2

 You will be able to tell how fast the reaction is happening by looking at how
quickly bubbles of hydrogen gas are produced.

Investigation Method
Label 4 test tubes (1 – 4)
In each test tube place 3 pieces of granulated zinc.
Test tube 1 – add 5cm3 of hydrochloric acid
Test tube 2 – add copper turnings and then add 5cm3 of hydrochloric acid
Test tube 3 – add copper turnings, 1cm3 of copper sulphate and finally add
5cm3 of hydrochloric acid
Test tube 4 – add a small amount of manganese oxide and then add 5cm 3 of
hydrochloric acid

Record your observations in the table provided

Table of Results

Test tube Observations Rate of reaction

compared to
test tube 1

n/a

slower/
faster/
same as in test
tube 1
 slower/
faster/
same as in test
tube 1

slower/
faster/
same as in test
tube 1

Questions to be answered in your book

1. Provide detailed information for your investigation by doing the following:

a. Write a hypothesis for your experiment
b. List the equipment that you used in your experiment
c. Explain how you made this a fair test
d. List and explain how you controlled the control variables
e. Outline the risks and control measures.

Please turn over for more questions

 2. Write a conclusion for your experiment that is directly linked to your
hypothesis.
3. Based on your conclusion, explain why catalysts will be useful to chemical
production companies.
4. What effect does a catalyst have on the reactants?
5. If you were to weight the catalyst before and after the reaction what
would you expect to find?
6. Draw up a risk assessment for this experiment
7. Evaluate the success of this investigation and provide ways to improve it,
including control measures and equipment.
8. Use the text below to evaluate the use of catalysts by chemical
production companies.

“Different catalysts are needed for different reactions. Many of the

catalysts we use in industry are transition metals or their compounds. For
example, iron is used in the production of ammonia, while platinum is used in the
production of nitric acid.”

“Catalysts are often very expensive because they are made of precious metals.”

“Catalysts speed up a reaction without being used up in the reaction.”

“Some catalysts work by providing a surface for the reaction particles to come
together. They lower the amount of energy needed for the particles to react.
This means that more collisions and more reactions taking place in a shorter
time”

“We need a very small amount of catalyst to speed up a reaction”

“Catalysts used in a chemical plant eventually become ‘poisoned’ so that they

don’t work any more. This happens because impurities in the reaction mixture
combine with the catalyst and stop it working properly”.

What did you enjoy about today’s lesson?

What could you have done better?