1. In the business of synthesizing chemicals, knowledge of the rates of the reactions, and the factors that affect them, is practical. In the environment, studies of the rates of decomposition of hazardous substances such as pesticides are done. The rate of reaction of drug or other substances in the body is also important. The rate of decay of radioactive substances is important to know for the radioisotopes used in medicine, and likewise for radioactive elements that escape into the environment such as from the nuclear power plant accident in Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986. On a more theoretical level, studies of reaction rates ties in with the details of the reactions themselves, the reaction mechanism.
2. Reaction of zinc metal with hydrochloric acid... Which has a larger surface area, one gram of powdered zinc metal, or one gram of a single piece of zinc?
3. You are increasing the temperature by 40°C and the rate of your reaction approximately doubles with each increase of 10°C. 40°C is four increases of 10°C, so you would double the rate four times, 2 X 2 X 2 X 2, or 2n times where n is the number of 10° increments the temperature was increased by. So, the new rate would be original rate X 2n.
Steve
Free Forum Hosting
Important Announcement
First 