CHEMISTRY REPORT (The effect of the size of reactant on the rate of reaction) AIM PROBLEM STATEMENT HYPOTHESIS To investigate

the effect of the size of reactant on the rate of reaction Is the rate of reaction between calcium carbonate, CaCO and dilute hydrochloric acid, HCl affected by the size of the calcium carbonate, CaCO chips? The rate of reaction increases when smaller calcium carbonate, CaCO chips are used MANIPULATED VARIABLE : Size of calcium carbonate, CaCO chips or marble chips RESPONDING VARIABLE : The rate of reaction FIXED VARIABLES : Mass of marble chips; volume and concentration of dilute hydrochloric acid, HCl; temperature of reaction mixture. 100 cm conical flask; basin; burette; delivery tube with rubber stopper; retort stand with clamp; stop watch; measuring cylinder; mortar and pestle; weighing balance. 0.2 mol dm hydrochloric acid, HCl; small and large marble chips

VARIABLES

APPARATUS

MATERIALS PROCEDURE

1. A burette full with water is inverted in basin of water. 2. It is then clamped vertically using retort stand. 3. Set up the apparatus shown in diagram, 5g of large calcium carbonate chips is weighed and put inside the conical flask. 4. 50 cm of hydrochloric acid, HCl, 0.2 mol dm is measured and pored into the conical flask. 5. The conical flask is closed immediately with a stopper fitted with delivery tube as shown in the diagram.

6. A stop-watch is started immediately. 7. The volume of gas released is recorded for every 1 minute. 8. Steps 1 to 7 are repeated using 5g small calcium carbonate chips to replace 5g large calcium carbonate chips. 9. The graphs of volume of carbon dioxide against time for the two experiments are plotted on the same axes. RESULTS A. Large calcium carbonate chips Time / m Burette reading / cm Volume of gas / cm B. Small calcium carbonate chips Time / s Burette reading / cm Volume of gas / cm 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

ANALYSIS

1. Marble reacted with dilute hydrochloric acid, HCl to produce carbon dioxide, CO, gas. CaCO (s) + 2HCl (aq) CaCl (aq) + HO (l) + CO (g) 2. The average rate of reaction in 5 minutes for both reactions can be calculated as follows : Average rate of reaction of large marble chips = Average rate of reaction of small marble chips = 3. The rate of reaction at the 2nd minutes for both reactions can be calculated by drawing a tangent and then determining the gradient of the tangent at the particular time. Rate of reaction of large marble chips = = = Rate of reaction of small marble chips = = = 4. From the rate of reactions obtained from (2) and (3), it can be deduced that a) The rate of reaction between the small marble chips and dilute hydrochloric acid, HCl is higher compared to the rate of reaction between the large marble chips and dilute hydrochloric acid, HCl. b) The smaller the size of reactant, the higher the rate of reaction. A smaller reactant size has a larger total exposed surface area. 5. According to both graphs, the rate of reaction lessens with time (the gradient of the curve becomes less steep with time). This is because a) The concentration of hydrochloric acid, HCl becomes lower with time b) The mass (quantity) of marble reduces with time c) The total surface area of marble chips becomes smaller with time 6. The hypothesis is accepted.

CONCLUSION

The smaller the size of reactant, the higher the rate of reaction.