Effect of Temperature on the Rate of Reaction between Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric Acid :: GCSE Chemistry Coursework Investigation

Effect of Temperature on the Rate of Reaction between Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric Acid Investigation Chemical reactions are used in our everyday life, they literally keep us alive. They are used in food, respiration and everywhere else in the environment. A chemical reaction mainly occurs when reactants react together to produce a new product. The speed at which this reaction takes place is called the rate of reaction. The product produced has a number of particles in the solution that has formed from the reactants. The concentration is the amount of particles in a certain amount of water. If a cross is placed under the beaker of the solution, the cross will eventually disappear because the high temperature of the water will make the particles move faster because they have more energy and they will move more quicker to give a bigger impact which will cause more frequent and violent collisions and the solution will disappear as the product forms to create a misty solution. The rate of reaction is normally recorded in tables and can then be defined onto graphs to show how the rate curves of different factors affect the speed of the reaction. A rate curve is the curve of a graph that shows how the reaction changes at different intervals. The gradient of the graph tells us whether the different rate curves have the same relation, meaning if they have a similar rate of reaction. Reactions can take place in a variety of customs; they can bee steep or steady. The steeper the slope, the faster the reaction takes place. The steadier the slope, the slower the reaction takes place. Aim: The aim of my investigation is to find out whether the increase of temperature increases the rate of reaction between the two reactants of Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric acid. I will then find out and evaluate on how temperature affects this particular reaction. Factors There are four main factors, which affect the rate of reaction that are considered as variables for the experiment I will be doing, they are the following: Molecules can only collide when two of them meet together. This meeting between the two particles can only take place on the surface area of the material. If the surface area of the material is increased, the particles gather more space to collide with each other with force. With a large surface area, the particles will have more area to work on so the collision probability will be high. A catalyst is a separate substance to the ones you use in your experiment and is used to speed up the reaction between the reactants.