Cambridge IGCSE Combined and Co-ordinated Sciences Revision checklists

Chapter C7  How far? How fast?

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about this work on this that I know and fully
understand this
Chemical reactions involve changes in energy. Most
reactions release energy to their surroundings and this
is usually in the form of heat – these are exothermic
reactions. Some reactions take in energy from the
surroundings – these are endothermic reactions.
The energy change involved in a reaction can be
represented by an energy level diagram.

Chemical bonds must first be broken during a

reaction so that new, different, bonds can be formed.
The breaking of bonds is an endothermic process
requiring energy, while the making of bonds is an
exothermic process with energy being released.
The energy released by the formation of new bonds
causes the reaction to continue. The heat change
taking place during a reaction can be measured using
a simple calorimeter.
Very few reactions are spontaneous, and even
strongly exothermic reactions require an initial input
of energy to start them. The energy barrier’ that must
be overcome at the start of a reaction is known as
the activation energy of a particular reaction. The
activation energy is needed because bonds must first
be broken before new ‘attachments’ can be made.
Chemical reactions can occur at vastly different rates,
from the explosively rapid to those taking place over
a timescale of years. The rate of a reaction can be
changed by altering several factors concerning the
reactants, including:
• the surface area of any solids present
• the concentration of any solutions involved
• the temperature at which the reaction is
carried out.
Some reactions can be speeded up by the presence
of a catalyst. Catalysts increase the rate of a reaction
but remain chemically unchanged at the end of the
reaction. Transition elements or their compounds
are particularly useful as catalysts. Catalysts are
important for a wide range of industrial processes.
Certain reactions can be reversed if the
conditions are changed – the dehydration of hydrated
salts, for example.

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Cambridge IGCSE Combined and Co-ordinated Sciences Revision checklists

Chapter C7  How far? How fast? (continued)

I don’t know much I need to do more I am really confident
about this work on this that I know and fully
understand this
The factors controlling the rate of a reaction can be
explained on the basis of collision theory. Changes
that increase the frequency of collision between
reactant particles (for example, an increase in
temperature) will increase the rate of a reaction.
Not all collisions produce reactions – the colliding
particles must possess a certain minimum energy to
react. This minimum energy is the activation energy
of the reaction.
Several important industrial reactions (for example,
the Haber process) are based on reversible reactions.
The conditions used industrially for these reactions
are optimised to produce enough product at an
economic rate. A catalyst is often involved in these
processes, but its presence does not alter the
equilibrium position.

28 © Cambridge University Press 2017