Factors that

Affect the Rate of Reaction

in Daily Life
7.3
 01
The Size Factor
Action of medicines
Antacid tablets are used to treat gastric. Doctors advise patients to chew the tablet
instead of swallowing. Breaking up the tablet into smaller pieces increases the total
surface area exposed and increases the rate of reaction between the medicine and the
acid in the stomach.

Cooking food
Potatoes are cut into thin slices or long strips so that it can be cooked faster. Thin slices
or long strips increases the total surface area exposed to the cooking oil compared to
uncut potatoes.
 02
Concentration
Factor
Corrosion due to acid rain
Buildings made of iron that are located near the industrial areas will corrode fast due to
acid rain. The atmosphere around industrial areas contains a high concentration of
sulphur dioxide. When the concentration of the acidic pollutants increases, the level of
acid rain increases and the rate of corrosion increases.

Combustion of petrol in car engines

Petrol vapour and air are compressed in the car engine combustion chamber before
being burned. The compression increases the concentration of the petrol vapour
allowing the petrol to burn very quickly until it explodes. The energy released from the
combustion of petrol will make the car move.
 03
Temperature
Factor
Cleaning
Washing clothes using detergent powder and hot water combines two factors that
increase the rate of reaction. The process of washing clothes will be even quicker in this
situation.
Cooking food
Other than decreasing the size, food also cooks faster at high temperatures. Water boils
at 100 °C while cooking oil would not boil even the temperature reaches 180 °C.
Therefore, frying food in oil will cook the food even faster.
 04
Catalyst Factor
Catalytic converter
Modern cars are fitted with catalytic converters as shown in Photograph 7.7 to cut down
atmospheric pollution. Exhaust gas from car engines contains pollutants. Figure 7.18
shows how catalytic converters change pollutants into non-harmful products that are
safe to be released into the atmosphere in the presence of platinum catalyst, Pt.

Making alcohol
Ethanol, C 2 H 5 OH, is the main ingredient in alcoholic drinks. Ethanol is produced through the
fermentation of glucose with the help of enzyme in yeast as a catalyst at 37 °C.