Explain four ways of increasing the rate of a reaction

  1. Increase the temperature - this increases the kinetic energy of particles, so when they collide with each other the collision has a greater energy so is more likely to overcome the activation energy barrier to a reaction. This means a greater proportion of collisions will be successful and so the rate of reaction will be faster.

  2. Increase the concentration of reactants - this will Increase the number of molecules in the same space, therefore more collisions will occur between molecules so the rate of reaction will be faster. This is also true for increasing the pressure of a gas.

  3. Increase the surface area - if the reaction involves a solid, it can be broken down into smaller parts to increase its surface area. This means more molecules will be available to react and so the reaction will be faster.

  4. Use a catalyst - a catalyst is a substance which increases the rate of a reaction without being used up in the reaction. It does this by providing an alternative pathway for the reaction which has a lower activation energy and therefore takes place more quickly.

RP
Answered by Robert P. Chemistry tutor

31364 Views

See similar Chemistry GCSE tutors

Related Chemistry GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Explain what an ionic bond is and how the charges and radii can affect the melting and boiling points of the ionic compounds


Reaction between a metal and acid gives?


What is a mole?


How do you know which chemicals are formed at the electrodes in the electrolysis of aqueous solutions?


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