Decreasing the surface area will increase the reaction rate.

True
False

False

True. Decreasing the surface area of a reactant increases the reaction rate. This is because a larger surface area exposes more reactant particles to collisions, increasing the frequency of successful collisions and therefore increasing the reaction rate.

False.

To determine whether decreasing the surface area will increase the reaction rate, we need to understand the concept of surface area and its relationship to reaction rate.

Surface area refers to the total area of the exposed surfaces of a substance. In a chemical reaction, the reactant particles need to come into contact with each other in order to react. The larger the surface area, the more particles are exposed and available for reaction.

Decreasing the surface area by, for example, crushing a solid reactant into smaller particles, will actually increase the reaction rate. This is because the smaller particles have a greater total surface area compared to larger particles of the same mass. With the increased surface area, there is more opportunity for reactant particles to collide and react, leading to a faster reaction rate.

Therefore, decreasing the surface area will actually increase the reaction rate, making the statement true.