Experiment to investigate factors affecting the rate of reaction between magnesium ribbon and hydrochloric acid

Experiment to investigate factors affecting the rate of reaction between magnesium ribbon and hydrochloric acid

Rates of Reaction: Investigation

Experiment to investigate factors affecting the rate of reaction between magnesium ribbon and hydrochloric acid.

Chemical reactions between substances are caused by the collision of particles. More collisions mean a quicker rate of reaction.

In the reaction between hydrochloric acid and magnesium ribbon, the chemical reaction takes place when the magnesium ribbon is dropped into the hydrochloric acid. The products are hydrogen gas and magnesium chloride.

The equation for this reaction is as follows:-

Magnesium + Hydrochloric acid Magnesium chloride + Hydrogen

Mg (s) + 2HCL (aq) MgCl2 (aq) + H2 (g)

Factors that affect the rate of reaction:-

* Temperature

* Mass of magnesium ribbon

* Concentration of hydrochloric acid

* Surface area of magnesium ribbon

I have chosen to use the concentration of hydrochloric acid as my independent variable. These different concentrations can be varied easily and made up accurately for the experiment.

Each experiment will be done four times so that an average reading can be calculated - ensuring an accurate and reliable conclusion. The measured variable will be the time taken for the same quantity of magnesium ribbon in each experiment to be used up in reaction. The constant variable will be the length of the magnesium ribbon used in each experiment.

Rate of reaction = Gradient of the line of a graph plotted with time taken to cease reacting against

concentration.

Concentration of a solution describes the number of active particles in a particular volume.

The unit of concentration is: mol.dm-3

Prediction

I predict that the higher the concentra...

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...ing around faster. This would mean HCL and magnesium particles would collide more frequently, thereby increasing rate of reaction.

I think that my results on graph 1 were suitable to draw an accurate best-fit line. The points are all joined by the line.

I used 5 different concentrations which were in a suitably wide range.

If I were to repeat the experiment I would use a slightly wider range of concentrations to expand my conclusion, such as 1.25M, 0.75M and

0.25M. If the resources were available, I would also extend the range to higher concentrations than the 2M I was restricted to in this investigation. Further investigation could also include using another factor as my independent variable.

I could differ the surface area of magnesium in my experiments, and see how this affects rate of reaction; in what way and if there is a definite proportional relationship.