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Think of this: What burns faster, a thick log or kindling What melts faster, 1 BIG icecube or 10 smaller icecubes What will get mould away to nothing first, a huge block of cheese or small slices of cheese Which will heat faster in boiled water, a whole potato or thin cut potato like potato chips The surface area gives more area of interation between molecules. What will cool bottle of water quicker, putting it in cold water, (surface area = the sides of the bottle) or dumping it into the water and mixing it (surface area = each surface of the trillions of atoms of the water) -A reaction involves atoms forming and breaking bonds with other atoms. For a reaction to proceed, the atoms involved must come in contact with each other. Something with a larger surface area will have more atoms exposed to the outside world, and so will have more atoms exposed to the other reactant. The more exposed atoms, the faster the reaction will go.

See the Related Questions links for more information about reaction rates and what they are affected by.

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16y ago
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15y ago

If you look at an atomic level, to get a reaction, the atoms need to be a a very close proximity. So the larger the area, the better the chances are that the atoms are in close proximity. If an area has a polished finish, the effective reaction area is (in an ideal polished situation) the surface area. If an area is scratched, roughed up, the effective area is much larger, due to the peaks and troughs in the material, hence a larger surface area, hence a faster reaction

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14y ago

for a reaction to occur the two (or more) species must collide. a larger surface area of a solid (usually reacting with a gas or liquid) exposes more of the molecules or atoms of the species thereby increasing the probability of a successful collision and a reaction.

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12y ago

Temperature is the average kinetic energy of atomic or molecular particles; at higher temperatures, these chemical units are moving more rapidly and therefore have more energetic collisions, and energetic collisions are an opportunity for chemical reactions to take place. The more energy is involved, the more likely the chemicals are to react.

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14y ago

Reactions require collisions between particles. Fewer collisions occur at lower temperatures.

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15y ago

No, the rate of reaction increases when surface area of reactant increases. A smaller surface area will give a slower rate of reaction.

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12y ago

The reaction will often occur at the surface of an object.

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8y ago

When the surface area is high the speed of reaction increase.

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Q: Why does increasing the surface area make a reaction go faster?
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How does increasing the surface area of a solid reactant affect the energy of molecular collisions?

Increasing the surface area of a solid reactant allows for more reactant molecules to be exposed to each other, leading to an increase in the frequency of molecular collisions. This higher frequency of collisions results in an increase in energy of the collisions, which can lead to a faster reaction rate.


How does increased surface area of a reactant in a chemical reaction leads to faster reaction?

Increasing the surface area of a reactant exposes more of its particles to the other reactants, leading to more frequent collisions and increasing the chances of successful collisions. This results in a faster reaction rate as the particles have a higher likelihood of interacting and forming products.


What is a reactant surface area?

Reactant surface area refers to the total area of a substance available for chemical reactions to occur. It plays a crucial role in determining the rate of a chemical reaction as it affects the frequency of collisions between reactant molecules. Increasing the surface area typically leads to a faster reaction rate as it provides more contact points for particles to interact.


Why does crushing a substance speed up reaction rate?

You are increasing the surface area for the substance to react


What does increasing the surface area of a solid do to the solution?

Increasing the surface area of a solid can help to speed up the rate of dissolution in a solution. This is because more surface area allows for more interactions between the solid and the solvent, leading to faster dissolution.

Related questions

How does the surface area affect the rate of a reaction?

The powdered solid has a greater surface area than the single lump of solid. So the larger the surface area of the solid, the faster the reaction will be. Increasing the surface area of the solid increases the chances of collision taking place between the molecules of reactants, if it is a reaction in liquid or gaseous phase.


How does increasing the surface area of a solid reactant affect the energy of molecular collisions?

Increasing the surface area of a solid reactant allows for more reactant molecules to be exposed to each other, leading to an increase in the frequency of molecular collisions. This higher frequency of collisions results in an increase in energy of the collisions, which can lead to a faster reaction rate.


Relationship between surface area and rate of reaction?

The surface area directly impacts the rate of reaction. Increasing the surface area of reactants leads to more exposed particles available for collisions and interactions, which can increase the rate of reaction. This is because a larger surface area provides more opportunities for effective collisions to occur, leading to a faster reaction rate.


4 What happens when you increase the surface area of reactants in a reaction?

Increasing the surface area of reactants in a reaction leads to an increase in the frequency of collisions between particles. This can result in a higher reaction rate due to more effective collisions occurring. Overall, increasing the surface area of reactants accelerates the reaction process.


How does increased surface area of a reactant in a chemical reaction leads to faster reaction?

Increasing the surface area of a reactant exposes more of its particles to the other reactants, leading to more frequent collisions and increasing the chances of successful collisions. This results in a faster reaction rate as the particles have a higher likelihood of interacting and forming products.


What is a reactant surface area?

Reactant surface area refers to the total area of a substance available for chemical reactions to occur. It plays a crucial role in determining the rate of a chemical reaction as it affects the frequency of collisions between reactant molecules. Increasing the surface area typically leads to a faster reaction rate as it provides more contact points for particles to interact.


Why does surface area of a reactant influence the rate of the of the reaction?

by pooing on the leg


Why does crushing a substance speed up reaction rate?

You are increasing the surface area for the substance to react


What does increasing the surface area of a solid do to the solution?

Increasing the surface area of a solid can help to speed up the rate of dissolution in a solution. This is because more surface area allows for more interactions between the solid and the solvent, leading to faster dissolution.


How do you increase the rate of a reaction of a solid?

To increase the rate of a reaction involving a solid, you can try increasing the surface area of the solid by breaking it into smaller pieces or grinding it into a powder, which exposes more surface area for the reaction to occur. Another way is to increase the temperature, as higher temperatures generally lead to faster reaction rates. Additionally, using a catalyst can also help to speed up the reaction.


Why does surface area of a reactant influence the rate of the reactions?

A chemical reaction is nothing but the conversion of the reactant molecules into product molecules. By increasing the surface area of the reactants more number of reactant molecules are exposed which eventually increases the rate of the reaction...for example, powdered chalk piece dissolves faster in water than a piece of chalk.


Why does surface of a reactant influence the rate of the reaction?

A chemical reaction is nothing but the conversion of the reactant molecules into product molecules. By increasing the surface area of the reactants more number of reactant molecules are exposed which eventually increases the rate of the reaction...for example, powdered chalk piece dissolves faster in water than a piece of chalk.