6 (a) A student investigated the rate of a reaction - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 6 - 2013 - Paper 1
Question 6
6 (a) A student investigated the rate of a reaction. The student investigated the reaction between zinc and dilute sulfuric acid. The products are zinc sulfate, ZnSO... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:6 (a) A student investigated the rate of a reaction - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 6 - 2013 - Paper 1
Step 1
Write the balanced equation for this reaction.
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Answer
The balanced equation for the reaction between zinc and dilute sulfuric acid is:
Zn(s)+H2SO4(aq)→ZnSO4(aq)+H2(g)
Step 2
Evaluate these results, explaining the reasons why the rate of reaction in experiment 2 is faster than the rate of reaction in experiment 1.
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Answer
In experiment 1, the concentration of sulfuric acid is lower (0.5 mol dm⁻³) compared to experiment 2 (1.5 mol dm⁻³). A higher concentration means there are more acid particles present, which increases the likelihood of collisions with zinc particles.
Additionally, the temperature in experiment 2 is higher (40 °C) than in experiment 1 (20 °C). Raising the temperature increases the energy of the particles, resulting in more effective collisions. Thus, the rate of reaction in experiment 2 is faster due to both increased collision frequency and higher energy of the particles, leading to more successful reactions.
Step 3
What type of reaction is this?
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Answer
The reaction between zinc and copper sulfate is a displacement reaction, whereby zinc displaces copper from copper sulfate.
Step 4
This reaction is exothermic. On the diagram below draw labelled lines to show the relative energies of the reactants and products in this reaction.
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In an exothermic reaction, the energy of the products is lower than the energy of the reactants. Therefore, on the diagram, draw a line starting at a higher point representing the reactants and ending at a lower point for the products, indicating the release of energy during the reaction.