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.
b. The rate of the reaction would slow down.
This is because the surface area of the reactant affects the rate of the reaction. When using a whole Alka-Seltzer tablet instead of powdered NaHCO3, the tablet has a smaller surface area available for reaction. The smaller surface area reduces the number of reactant particles exposed to the other reactants, which leads to slower reaction rates.
To understand the effect of using a whole Alka-Seltzer tablet instead of powdered NaHCO3 on the reaction rate in a lab, we need to consider the concept of surface area and its relation to reaction rate.
Surface area is an important factor in chemical reactions because it directly affects the number of reactant particles available for collisions. In general, the greater the surface area of a reactant, the faster the reaction rate. This is because a larger surface area provides more sites for collisions between reactant particles, leading to a higher probability of successful collisions and faster reaction rates.
In the given scenario, if we were to use a whole Alka-Seltzer tablet instead of powdered NaHCO3, it would result in a smaller surface area for the reaction. Since the tablet is solid and compressed, only the exposed surface area of the tablet would be available for reaction, while the inner layers remain unexposed.
Therefore, in this case, the rate of the reaction would slow down compared to using powdered NaHCO3. The smaller surface area of the Alka-Seltzer tablet would reduce the number of reactant particles available for collisions, which decreases the likelihood of successful collisions and slows down the overall reaction rate.
So, to summarize, if you were to use a whole Alka-Seltzer tablet with the same chemical makeup but a smaller surface area instead of powdered NaHCO3, the rate of the reaction in the lab would slow down (option b).