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Zinc metal reacts with 0.1 M hydrochloric acid to form hydrogen gas and zinc chloride solution - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 3 - 2006 - Paper 1
Question 3
Zinc metal reacts with 0.1 M hydrochloric acid to form hydrogen gas and zinc chloride solution. The production of hydrogen gas is more vigorous if the zinc is powder... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Zinc metal reacts with 0.1 M hydrochloric acid to form hydrogen gas and zinc chloride solution - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 3 - 2006 - Paper 1
Step 1
C. frequency of collisions between zinc metal and hydrogen ions is higher.
Answer
When zinc is powdered, its surface area is increased significantly compared to larger pieces. This increased surface area allows more frequent collisions between zinc metal and hydrochloric acid (HCl) ions.
In chemical reactions, the rate of reaction is influenced by how often particles collide with each other. In this case, the increased frequency of collisions results in a higher probability of successful reactions occurring.
Thus, it can be concluded that the more violent production of hydrogen gas when using powdered zinc is due to the higher frequency of collisions between the zinc particles and the hydrogen ions in solution.