Question

The rate of reaction depends upon (a) molar concentration (b) atomic mass (c) equivalent mass (d) none of these

Short answer

The rate of reaction depends upon molar concentration (option a).

Step-by-step solution

Understanding Reaction Rates

The first step is to understand what a reaction rate is. The rate of reaction is a measure of how fast a chemical reaction occurs. It is typically expressed as the change in concentration of a reactant or product per unit time.

Evaluating the Options

Let's evaluate each given option: (a) Molar concentration refers to the amount of substance present in a given volume, and it directly affects how frequently molecules collide, thus influencing the reaction rate. (b) Atomic mass is a constant value for a given element and does not frequently change; it isn't directly related to the rate of reaction. (c) Equivalent mass is a specific measure used for reactions involving equivalents, but it doesn't typically correlate with reaction rates like concentration does.

Determining the Correct Answer

Assessing the given options, (a) molar concentration is the most relevant factor influencing the rate of reaction, as it dictates how often reactant molecules encounter each other. The other options do not significantly impact reaction rate as directly as molar concentration does.

Key concepts

Molar Concentration

Molar concentration, often referred to as molarity, is a fundamental concept in chemistry. It measures the number of moles of a solute dissolved in a liter of solution. This aspect is vital for understanding reaction rates because the concentration of reactants determines how frequently molecules collide, leading to a potential reaction.
Molar concentration is calculated using the formula:

• \[ Molarity (M) = \frac{moles\,of\,solute}{liters\,of\,solution} \]

When reacting particles are more concentrated, collisions occur more frequently, and reactions tend to proceed faster. This is why molarity is an essential factor in chemical kinetics. If the concentration of any reactant is increased, the chances of collisions between reactant molecules increase, hence increasing the reaction rate.

Chemical Kinetics

Chemical kinetics is the branch of chemistry that studies the speed or rate of chemical reactions. It explains how various factors influence this speed and provides a deeper understanding of how reactions proceed. Kinetics covers the process from the initial mixing of reactants to the transformation into products, involving several steps and mechanisms.
Key aspects of chemical kinetics include:

• Reaction mechanisms: Detailed step-by-step processes by which reactions occur.
• Rate laws: Mathematical relationships that describe how the rate depends on concentration.
• Order of reactions: Classification based on how the rate depends on the concentration of reactants.

By studying chemical kinetics, scientists can predict how a reaction behaves over time and under different conditions, allowing for optimization and control in industrial and laboratory settings.

Factors Affecting Reaction Rates

Several factors can influence the rate of a chemical reaction, contributing to how quickly reactants are converted to products.
Some of the main factors include:

• Molar concentration: As previously discussed, higher concentrations lead to more collisions, thus speeding up reactions.
• Temperature: Increasing temperature usually increases reaction rates because particles move faster, leading to more frequent and energetic collisions.
• Surface area: Greater surface areas allow for more collisions between reactants. Finely powdered solids react faster than larger chunks.
• Catalysts: Substances that increase the reaction rate without being consumed in the process. They provide an alternative pathway with a lower activation energy.
• Nature of reactants: Some substances react faster than others due to their chemical nature and prior energy levels.

Understanding these factors allows chemists to manipulate reactions to achieve the desired speed and outcomes, crucial for both theoretical and practical applications.