Effect of Surface Area Flashcards

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What does the surface area of a solid reactant mean?

It is the total area of the outside of the solid where particles can collide.

How does increasing the surface area of a solid affect the rate of reaction?

It makes the reaction faster because more particles are exposed to collide.

Why does a powdered solid react faster than the same solid in one big lump?

Powder has a larger surface area, so more particles can collide with the other reactant at the same time.

In terms of collision theory, why does a greater surface area speed up a reaction?

A greater surface area gives more frequent collisions between reacting particles each second.

In a marble chips and hydrochloric acid experiment, how can you make the reaction go faster using surface area?

Use smaller marble chips or crush them into powder to increase the surface area.

In a marble chips and hydrochloric acid experiment, how can you slow the reaction using surface area?

Use larger marble chips or one big piece so the surface area is smaller.

What happens to the surface area when you cut a solid into many smaller pieces?

The surface area increases because more faces of the solid are exposed.

If two pieces of magnesium have the same mass, one as ribbon and one as powder, which reacts faster with acid and why?

The powder reacts faster because it has a larger surface area for the acid to collide with.

Why do industries sometimes use small pellets instead of fine powder for solid reactants?

Pellets have a smaller surface area, so the reaction is slower and easier to control safely.

How can a very high surface area of a fuel, like coal dust, affect how it burns?

It can burn very quickly or even explode because the reaction rate is much higher.

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