JAMB - Chemistry (2024 - No. 92)
In a chemical reaction, surface area of reactants can affect
CaCO\(_3\) + 2HCl → CaCl\(_2\) + H\(_2\)O + CO\(_2\)
MgCl\(_2\) + H\(_2\)SO\(_4\) → MgSO\(_4\) + 2HCl
H\(_2\) + Cl\(_2\) → 2HCl
NaOH + HCl → NaCl + H\(_2\)O
Explicació
The surface area of reactants affects the rate of a reaction between limestone and hydrochloric acid because it increases the number of collisions between the particles of the reactants. For example, if you have a large marble chip of calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid, the acid can't reach all the calcium carbonate in the middle of the chip. If you break the marble chip into smaller pieces, you'll have a larger surface area for the acid to react with, and the reaction will happen faster.