Unit 4 Year 13 A2 Chemistry

Rates (Booklet 1)

How fast?

1. Collision theory
2. Changing conditions
3. Measuring rate of reaction
4. Graphs
Name …………………………………………………………………………………

0
Targets continue on the next page……………..

1
Introduction Rate of a reaction – how fast a reaction takes place (we will define this term later)

Some reactions are fast (fireworks), others slow (rusting).

The rate of a reaction can be changed by…

• Changing surface area

• Changing concentrations of solutions

• Changing temperature

• Changing pressure
2
 • Adding a catalyst

Particle theory and explaining the effect of each. from iGCSE/AS

• Particles move

• Reactions can only happen when particles collide

• On collision some bonds break allowing new bonds to form

• Only pairs of molecules which collide with enough energy to stretch and break covalent bonds can

lead to new products. This is called the Activation energy EA.

Can you remember how to explain (using collision theory) what happens to the rate when……

Concentration increases

Temperature increases

A catalyst is added

Measuring a rate of reaction

To measure the rate of reaction there needs to be measurements of a physical change over time
i.e. temperature, pressure, colour, volume of gas, mass lost etc.
There are a number of ways that this can be done.

We will look at the most common.

Gas syringe

3
Collection over water

Mass lost

4
Experimental techniques to measure the rate of a reaction.
These are the most common. We will look at other techniques over the next few weeks.

Name of Description Advantages/Disadvantages Suitable reactions

technique Look through your book or use the internet.
Choose three suitable reactions for each technique
Explain why this technique is suitable in each case
Volume of gas Volume of gas is measured over Only reactions that produce a
produced time. gas

• Count the number of Easy, quick, cheap

bubbles
Errors – leaks, accuracy of
• Displacement of water equipment.
(insoluble gases)

• Gas syringe (any gas)

Mass change Change in mass is measured over Only reactions that produce a
time. gas

• Mass lost is equal to the Easy, quick, cheap

mass of gas produced
Errors – splashes from violent
reactions, accuracy of
equipment

Colour Change in colour is measured Calorimeters record colour

change over time. changes that the human eye
cannot.
Colorimetry • Use your eyes and a stop
clock Easy, quick,
• Use a colorimeter for Drawback - Expensive
accurate results equipment

5
Can you find any other methods used by Chemists to measure the rate of reaction?
6
Results of simple ´rate of reaction´ experiments

Question

Turn over for the rest of the questions

7
 Rate of reaction - DEFINITION

The rate of reaction is defined as the change in concentration per unit time.

Rate of reaction = change in concentration (moldm-3)

change in time (s)

Units are moldm-3s-1 or moles per litre per second

A quick way to write ´the concentration of…..´ is to use square brackets.

For example [OH-(aq)] [Cl-(aq)] [SO42-(aq)]

What happens to the concentration of a reactant over time?

The concentration of a reactant will always decrease over time, as the reactant is used up in the
reaction.
The rate of reaction is a maximum at time = 0, literally as soon as the reactants are mixed.
Why? Here there is the maximum concentration of reactants.
The rate at t=0 is called the ´initial´ rate of reaction.

How the concentration decreases over time is called the ORDER OF REACTION (for later).

The rate of reaction can be determined from the gradient of a tangent drawn to the line of a
concentration vs time graph.

8
If you can´t remember how to do this, look at the next page for some help.

Question What would the average rate of reaction for the whole reaction be? ………………………….

Draw tangents to the line in this

question and calculate the rate of
reaction at different times during the
reaction.
These values are called the
´instantaneous rate´ at a particular
time.

What is the average rate of reaction? …………………………………………………………………………………….

To help you answer, think about the difference between ´average speed´ and ´instantaneous speed´.

9
 A2 Chemistry

How to calculate instantaneous rate using a graph.

So, which technique is the best to measure the rate of reaction?

The multiple choice questions on the next pages are tricky. They get easier with practice…...

Some help………………………..

Can you spot a gas being produced?

This is the easiest way to monitor how fast a reaction is going.
Use a gas syringe, collection over water, mass lost per second, count the number of bubbles…...

Use a colorimeter to monitor the colour over time.

Colour is proportional to concentration.
Can you spot a coloured substance in the reaction i.e. I2 molecules,Br2 molecules, MnO4- ions?
If so, as the reaction produces or uses up these substances, then the colour will change.

Use electrical conductivity.

Can you spot neutral molecules turning into + or - ions or vice versa?
Ions make a solution more electrically conductive.
The change in electrical conductivity can be measured over time.
Electrical conductivity is proportional to concentration.

Quenching and titration.

Are there H+ ions or OH- ions in the reaction?
If so, their concentration will change over time as they are used up or made..
You can measure their concentration by stopping the reaction (quenching), then doing a titration.
Do it every minute and you can see how the concentration drops over time.
More on this later in the unit………

Optical activity
You will learn about this with Miss Boyko. Some molecules have a shape that will change the direction
of light.
This change in direction can be measured. If the molecule is made at a faster rate, then the direction of
light will change faster.
I have never seen a multi choice question where this was the correct answer!

Questions
Q1. Propanone reacts with iodine in acidic solution as shown in the equation below.

10
 A2 Chemistry

The most appropriate technique to investigate the rate of this reaction is

(1)
   A     titrating samples of reaction mixture with acid.
   B     measurement of optical activity.
   C     measurement of the volume of gas given off.
   D     colorimetry.

Q2. Which of the following methods would not be suitable for measuring the rate of the reaction between
methanoic acid and bromine?

HCOOH(aq) + Br2(aq) 2H+(aq) + 2Br−(aq) + CO2(g)

   A     Colorimetry
   B     Measuring change in electrical conductivity
   C     Quenching samples and titrating with acid
   D     Measuring change in pressure

Q3. Methods for investigating reaction rates include

A     colorimetry.
B     measurement of change in volume.
C     measurement of change of mass.
D     quenching followed by titrating with acid.

Which method would be most suitable to investigate the rate of the following reactions?

(a)   HCOOCH3(aq) + NaOH(aq) → HCOONa(aq) + CH3OH(aq)

   A    B    C    D

(b)   (CH3)2C CH2(g) + HI(g) → (CH3)3CI(g)

   A    B    C    D

(c)   BrO3−(aq) + 5Br−(aq) + 6H+(aq) → 3Br2(aq) + 3H2O(l)

   
A
   
B
   
C
   
D

11
 A2 Chemistry

Q4. Methods for investigating reaction rates include

A     colorimetry
B     collecting and measuring the volume of a gas
C     quenching, followed by titration with acid
D     quenching, followed by titration with iodine solution.

Which method would be most suitable to investigate the rate of the following reactions?

(a)  H2O2(aq) + 2I−(aq) + 2H+(aq) → 2H2O(l) + I2(aq)

(1)
   A
   B
   C
   D

(b)  C4H9Br(l) + OH−(aq) → C4H9OH(l) + Br−(aq)

(1)
   A
   B
   C
   D

Q5. Bromate(V) ions react with bromide ions in the presence of a dilute acid.

BrO3−(aq)   +   5Br−(aq)   +   6H+(aq)   →   3Br2(aq)   +   3H2O(l)

The rate of this reaction can be determined by measuring the change in colour intensity or the change in
conductivity of the solution.
Which changes will occur?

12