The rate of a chemical reaction normally
decreases as temperature increases
is slowed down by a catalyst
increases as reactant concentration increases***
decreases as reactant concentration increases
What if it's a zero order reaction?
The correct answer is:
increases as reactant concentration increases
The correct answer is that the rate of a chemical reaction increases as reactant concentration increases.
To understand why this is the correct answer, it's important to know that the rate of a chemical reaction is determined by the number of successful collisions between reactant molecules. When the concentration of reactants increases, there are more molecules available to collide with each other, which leads to a higher chance of successful collisions. As a result, the rate of the reaction increases.
To visualize this concept, imagine a hypothetical scenario where you have a container with a fixed number of reactant molecules. As the concentration of these molecules increases, the chances of two reactant molecules colliding with each other and reacting also increase. This means that the reaction will proceed at a faster rate.
It's also worth noting that the first statement in your question is actually incorrect. The rate of a chemical reaction typically increases as temperature increases. Higher temperatures provide molecules with more kinetic energy, which leads to more frequent and energetic collisions.