What would happen with the lab IF rather than powder NaHCO3 we used a whole alka seltzer tablet? Remember it would have the same chemical make up, but have a smaller surface area. a The rate of the reaction would speed up. b The rate of the reaction would slow down.
b The rate of the reaction would slow down.
If instead of using powdered NaHCO3, a whole Alka-Seltzer tablet is used with the same chemical makeup but a smaller surface area, the rate of the reaction would actually speed up. This is because the smaller surface area will lead to a faster dissolution of the tablet, allowing more of the reactant (NaHCO3) to come into contact with the other reactants, typically water or an acid, and react more quickly. Therefore, the correct answer is (a) The rate of the reaction would speed up.
To determine the effect of using a whole Alka Seltzer tablet instead of powdered NaHCO3 in a lab experiment, we need to consider the concept of surface area and its influence on reaction rate.
The rate of a chemical reaction is affected by several factors, and surface area is one of them. When a reactant is in a solid or powder form, the availability of its particles on the surface for collision with other reactant particles increases, leading to a higher reaction rate. Conversely, if the surface area decreases, the rate of the reaction tends to slow down.
In this case, by using a whole Alka Seltzer tablet instead of powdered NaHCO3, the surface area of the reactant would be reduced. The tablet would have a smaller exposed surface area compared to the powdered form, as it would take time for the tablet to dissolve and release the NaHCO3 particles.
Therefore, the correct answer would be:
b) The rate of the reaction would slow down.
Using a whole Alka Seltzer tablet with a smaller surface area would result in fewer exposed NaHCO3 particles, causing a decrease in the number of effective collisions between the reactant particles. Consequently, the rate of the reaction would slow down compared to using powdered NaHCO3 with a larger surface area.