CHAPTER 1

Rate of Reaction

Learning Outcomes
You should be able to :
state what rate of reaction is,
identify observable changes to reactants or
products for determining rate of reaction,
determine the average rate of reaction,
determine the rate of reaction at any given time
from a graph,
solve numerical problems involving average rate
of reaction.
solve numerical problems involving rate of
reaction at any given time.

What is rate of reaction?

Rate of reaction:
The speed at which reactants are converted into
products in a chemical reaction
As the reaction proceeds:
The amount of reactants decreases
The amount of products increase

Classification:
Fast reaction :

the time taken is short

the rate of reaction is high

Slow reaction :

the time taken is long

the rate of reaction is low

Measuring the rate of reaction

Observable changes ( visible changes )
Suitable changes which can be observed in a
chemical reaction:
a) volume of gas liberated
b) time taken for the precipitate formed
c) change in mass during the reaction
d) colour changes
e) temperature changes
f) pressure changes

Rate of reaction = change in selected quantity

time taken
Example :
Rate of reaction = decrease in mass of CaCO3
time taken
OR
Rate of reaction = increase in volume of CO2
time taken

Measurement rate of reaction

1.

Average rate of reaction :

Average value of the rate of reaction within
a specified period of time.
a) Average rate of reaction in the first 3 minutes,
b) Average rate of reaction in the third minute
c) Overall average rate of reaction

2. Rate of reaction at a given time:

The actual rate of reaction at that instant.

Also known as :
The instantaneous rate of reaction
Rate of reaction = Gradient of the
at a given time
curve at that instant

Total volume of gas (cm3)

D

Step 1
Draw a tangen (line DE) on the
curve at time t.
Step 2
Draw the right-angled triangle
DEF.
Step 3
Measure the length of DF and
EF.
Step 4
Calculate the gradient of the
tangent DE.

Time (s)
t

Rate of reaction at time t,

= gradient of curve at time t
= length of DF cm3 s-1
length of EF