Effect of Particle Size

Definition:

• Particle size refers to the size of individual particles or particles' granularity in a substance.

Importance:

• Particle size can significantly influence the rate of chemical reactions.

Decreased Particle Size:

• Reducing the particle size of a reactant means breaking it down into smaller pieces or making it finer.

Effect on Reaction Rate:

• Faster Reactions: Decreasing particle size leads to a higher rate of reaction.
  • Smaller particles provide a greater surface area for collisions to occur.
  • Example: Sugar cubes dissolve more slowly than powdered sugar because the fine powder has a larger surface area for interaction with water molecules.
• Efficiency: Smaller particles expose more reactants to other reactants, increasing the efficiency of reactions.

Applications:

• Crushing tablets for faster medication absorption.
• Grinding coffee beans for quicker brewing.
• Using fine powders in the chemical industry to speed up reactions.