GCSE CHEMISTRY - How Can the Rate of any Chemical Reaction be Measured?

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How Can the Rate of any Chemical Reaction be Measured?

The rate of a chemical reaction can vary greatly.
A reaction may be very slow, for example rusting,
or very fast, for example a firework exploding.

The rate of a reaction can be measured by following
the loss of a reactant or the formation of a product.

Rate of reaction = amount of reactant used ÷ time
or
Rate of reaction = amount of product formed ÷ time.

The amount of a reactant that is used or
the amount of a product that is formed
can be plotted against time and shown as a graph.
The gradient of the plot (the steepness of the slope)
shows the rate of the reaction (how fast it is going).

The following three reactions may be studied to show
how the rate of the reaction can be measured or changed.

1) The reaction
between calcium carbonate and dilute hydrochloric acid.

2) The reaction between
dilute hydrochloric acid and sodium thiosulfate solution.

3) The decomposition of hydrogen peroxide solution.

Links Catalysts and Energy Enzymes Revision Questions

gcsescience.com The Periodic Table Index Reaction Rate Quiz gcsescience.com

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