Increasing the surface area increases the rate of a reaction because
a) The number of collisions increases
b) The activation energy decreases
c) The fraction of collisions that are effective increases
d) Both a and b are true
e) All a, b, and c are true
e) All a, b, and c are true
what is the final and correct answer?
The correct answer is e) All a, b, and c are true.
The correct answer is e) All a, b, and c are true.
When the surface area of a substance is increased in a chemical reaction, it has the following effects:
a) The number of collisions increases: By increasing the surface area, more particles are exposed and available for collision. This increases the chances of reactant particles colliding with each other.
b) The activation energy decreases: Activation energy is the energy required for a reaction to occur. By increasing the surface area, it reduces the distance between the reacting particles, which in turn reduces the average energy required for these particles to overcome the activation energy barrier.
c) The fraction of collisions that are effective increases: Not all collisions between particles result in a reaction. Some collisions are not energetic enough to break the existing bonds and form new ones. By increasing the surface area, the chances of effective collisions increase because there are more opportunities for particles to collide with the appropriate orientation and sufficient energy.
Therefore, increasing the surface area of a substance increases the rate of a reaction because there are more collisions, the activation energy is lowered, and the fraction of effective collisions is increased.