Question

Given the following factors below, describe how the molecules of the reactants are being affected. Give examples.

1. Reactant concentration

2. Increase in temperature


3. Increase in surface area of the solid reactants.

4. Properly Oriented molecules

A reaction is endothermic. Is the energy of the product higher or lower than the energy of the
reactants? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

Effect of Reaction concentration:

​With increase in reactant concentration most of the times there is an increase in the rate of reaction but not always. This is due to the increase in no.of collisions amongst the reactant molecules as the concentration is increased.

Effect of increase in Temperature:

With the increase in temperature there will be an increase in KE for all the molecules hence lots of fruit ful collisons will occur thus increasing the rate of the reaction most of the times.

Increase in surface area of the solid reactants:

Due to the increase in surface area of the reactant molecule. It attracts more molecules to collide with it thus increasing no.of collisions and increasing the rate of reaction

Properly oriented molecules :

The reaction occurs due to a fruitful collision of the reactant molecule to another reactant molecule. Thus it is always a advantage for the reactant molecule to be in the correct orientation to increase the rate of reaction.

For an endothermic reaction , the energy of the products is higher than the energy of reactants.