Chemical kinetics is the branch of chemistry that studies the speed (rate) of chemical reactions and the factors that affect them.
Key points:
- Reaction rate: Measures how fast reactants are converted into products over time.
- Factors affecting reaction rate:
- Concentration: Higher reactant concentration usually increases the rate.
- Temperature: Higher temperature increases particle collisions, speeding up the reaction.
- Catalysts: Increase the reaction rate without being consumed.
- Surface area: For solids, more surface area increases the rate.
- Pressure: Affects reactions involving gases.
- Rate laws and order: Kinetics involves expressing the rate mathematically using rate laws and reaction order.
- Mechanism insight: Kinetics helps to understand the step-by-step pathway (mechanism) of a reaction.