Question

How can a chemical change be sped up?

Answer 1

Hint Different chemical reactions have different speeds. Some are very rapid and some are very slow. This speed reaction is termed as the rate of reaction. This is influenced by the frequency of collisions between the particles and the energy.

Complete step by step answer:
- There are several examples for fast and slow rates of reaction. Iron rusting is a slow process, i.e. it has a low reaction rate. While combustion of wood is a fast process, i.e. it has a very high reaction rate.
- The rate of the reaction is dependent on the rate of the collision of the molecules. The rate of collision is dependent on various factors stated below.
- A catalyst is a substance that has the ability to alter the rate of a reaction. It is dependent on nature and can easily increase the speed of the reaction.
- Temperature plays an important role in speeding up the reaction. On increasing the temperature, the energy of the reactant molecules increases. This results in the molecules to move faster and therefore, the rate of the reaction increases.

- The concentration of the reactants helps to increase the rate of the reaction. With the increase in concentration of reactants, more collisions take place, and thus the rate of the reaction increases.

Note: The chemical reaction requires varying lengths of time for completion, which depend on the nature of reactants and products, and the conditions under which the reaction takes place.