How does increasing the temperature of the reactants in a reaction affect the rate of said reaction?

This is a typical GCSE chemistry question relating to collision theory. Collision theory states that for a reaction to occur, the reactant particles must collide at a sufficient level of energy. To answer this question, we question how increasing the temperature affects how the reactant particles collide: -When temperature is higher, particles move faster -> There are more collisions per unit of time -> There are more sucessful collisions per unit time -When temperature is higher, particles contain more kinetic energy -> A greater proportion of collisions occur at sufficient energy to trigger a reaction per unit of time -Both factors work together to cause the rate of reaction to increase Exam Technique: -Display answer in a logical format to make it easier for examiner to mark -Per unit of time is highlighted due to its importance. Simply stating that there are more collisions is not sufficient to gain a mark, you must state that there are more collisions in a specified amount of time.

BP
Answered by Brian P. Chemistry tutor

2301 Views

See similar Chemistry GCSE tutors

Related Chemistry GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How do some toxic chemicals cause environmental and health problems? (2 Marks)


What is ionic bonding?


24 g of Magnesium reacts with 16 g of Oxygen to produce 40 g of magnesium oxide. What mass of magnesium would you need to produce 10 g of magnesium oxide?


What is Cracking and why is it carried out?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning