The Effect of

Reactant
Concentration,
Temperature,
and Catalyst on
Reaction Rate
Lab Report 1

NAME : DANIEL DUANE LIM

YUNG XENG

STUDENT ID : A2611
LECTURER : MS. HIDAYATI
EXPERIMENT DATE :
26/04/2013

Introduction and Purpose

2 experiments were conducted. The first experiment (Part A) was conducted to
investigate the effect of reactant concentration on the rate of reaction. In this experiment, the
concentration of the sodium thiosulphate solution was maintained at 0.25mol L -1 throughout
the experiment. However, its volume was reduced and the volume of water used was
increased to manipulate the total concentration of sodium thiosulphate solution. The total
volume of the solution after it was mixed was maintained at 50mL. The hypothesis for this
experiment is: the higher the concentration of reactant, the less time is taken for the mark X
to disappear from sight. Hence, the higher is the rate of reaction. For many reactions
involving liquids or gases, the rate of reaction can be increased by increasing the
concentration of the reactants in the solution. The rate of reaction is the rate of loss of a
reactant or the rate of development of a product during a chemical reaction. It is measured by
dividing 1 by the time taken for the reaction to take place:
time taken for the mark X
1
rate of reaction disappear

In the second experiment (Part B), the effect of an increase in temperature and the
presence of a catalyst upon the rate of reaction was investigated. In this experiment, the
temperature was manipulated by increasing the temperature of a water bath using a Bunsen
burner subsequently while the reaction between Oxalic Acid solution and a mixture of
Potassium permanganate solution with Sulphuric acid solution took place in the water bath.
The experiment was divided into a control set without any catalyst; and a set where MnSO 4
solution which functioned as a catalyst was present. There were 2 hypothesis in this
experiment: As the temperature increases, the time taken for the mixture of solutions to turn

from brown colour to a colourless solution decreases. Hence, the higher the rate of reaction.
The second hypotheses is that the presence of a catalyst decreases the time taken for the
mixture of solutions to turn from brown colour to a colourless solution. Hence, the higher the
rate of reaction. Temperature is a very important factor in affecting the rate of reaction. It has
been found that the rate of reaction increase when the temperature is increased. The effect of
a catalyst also increases the rate of reaction, but it is not used up in the reaction. Only a small
amount of catalyst is needed to catalyse a reaction. The rate of reaction can be measured by
dividing 1 by the time taken for the reaction to take place:
time taken for the mixture
1
ra t e of reaction turn colourless

The rate at which a reaction occurs is governed by a variety of factors. These include the
concentration of the reactant (or pressure when in gaseous form), the temperature at which
the reaction occurs, the surface area of the solid reactants and the presence, or lack of
presence, of a catalyst. If any one of these conditions is altered, the rate at which a reaction
occurs will be altered. However, certain conditions must be met before a collision will result
in the formation of a product. The theory that seeks to explain this phenomenon is called The
Collision Theory. The Collision Theory states that before any chemical reaction can occur,
the reactant particles must fulfil the following conditions:
1. The reactant particles must collide.
2. The reactant particles must possess sufficient energy called the activation energy. This
means that they must be moving fast enough so that when they collide, they have
enough energy to break existing bonds within the reactant particles.
3. The orientation of the reacting particles during the collision must be suitable.

Collisions that result in a reaction are called effective collisions. Since collisions between
reactant particles must occur before any product can be formed, it follows that the greater the
number of collision per unit time, the higher the frequency of effective collisions and thus the
higher the rate of reaction.

Materials and Apparatus

Part A
200mL of 0.25 mol L-1 Sodium Thiosulphate Solution [Na2S2O3], 50mL of 2 mol L-1 ,
Hydrochloric Acid [HCl], Distilled Water, Test Tube, Graduated cylinders (10mL, 25mL, and
100mL), Conical flasks (three 100mL), Stop Clock, and a White paper with an X marked.

Part B
4 Boiling Tubes, 80mL of 0.25 mol L-1 Oxalic Acid solution [H2C2O4], 40mL of 0.02 mol L-1
Potassium permanganate solution [KMnO4], 80mL of 2.0 mol L-1 Sulfuric acid solution
[H2SO4], 5mL of saturated solution of Manganese (II) Sulphate, Distilled water, Two 250mL
and two 100mL beakers, 10ml and 25mL graduated cylinders, Thermometer (-10 - 100 oC),
Bunsen burner, Tripod stand, and Gauze mat, and a Stopwatch.

Procedure
Part A
1. 45 mL of 0.25 mol L-1 Na2S2O3 is placed into a 100 mL conical flask. The flask is placed
over a cross marked on a piece of white paper.
2. 5 mL of 2 mol L-1 of HCL is added and briefly agitated to ensure the mixing of the
reactants. A stop clock is started at the moment of addition.
3. The time taken for the cross to disappear is noted and recorded when it is viewed through
the solution from directly overhead. It is the formation of solid Sulfur that causes the cross
to be obscured.
4. The experiment is repeated using various sodium thiosulphate concentrations, made up as
indicated in Table A.

Precaution and Fair Test

1. Because hydrochloric acid is a corrosive substance, it was handled carefully. Contact with
the skin was avoided by wearing gloves.
2. The graduated cylinders were first washed with distilled water to ensure that they were
clean, and then with the solutions they would measure to remove water droplets sticking
onto the inner surface of the graduated cylinders. This prevents the dilution from occurring
upon the measuring of the solutions.
3. Upon measuring the volumes, solutions were poured in the graduated cylinders until its
level is near the intended volume mark. A dropper was then used to add more drops of the
solution to ensure that the volume intended to be used accurate.
4. Hands were washed thoroughly after conducting this experiment.
5. The volume of water used is different in each experiment to keep the total volume of the
mixture constant. This will make the concentration of the sodium thiosulphate solution in
the resulting mixture directly proportional to the volume of the 0.25 mol L -1 sodium
thiosulphate solution used. If the volume is different, then it could give different results to
if it was at a constant volume.

6. The volume of hydrochloric acid used is kept constant so that the concentration of the acid
is also constant. The temperature is also kept constant at room temperature.
7. By keeping these two variables constant, any change in the rate of reaction is due to the
change in the concentration of the sodium thiosulphate solution only.
8. The uniform swirling is carried out throughout the experiment to ensure that the reactants
in the solution are mixed well. This increases the chance of correct orientation between the
reactants in order to produce a reaction.
9. The colour and size of the cross was also kept constant throughout the experiment. The
beaker was also thoroughly cleaned.
10. The stopwatch is at the moment hydrochloric acid is added to the water and the sodium
thiosulphate in the conical flask. One person pours the hydrochloric acid into the conical
flask, and another person starts the time, observes the reaction, and stops the time when
the reaction is complete.

Part B
1. 4 boiling tubes are labelled as A1, B1, A2, and B2.
2. 10 mL of 0.25 mol L-1 Oxalic Acid solution into boiling tubes A1 and A2.
3. Each test tubes, B1 and B2 is filled with 5 mL of 0.02 mol L-1 Potassium permanganate
solution and 10mL of 2.0 mol L-1 Sulfuric acid solution.
4. 5 drops of 10% MnSO4 solution is added to B2. The mixture is then stirred.
5. Boiling tubes A1 and B1 are placed in a hot water bath until the solutions reach 30oC.
6. The solutions from boiling tube B1 is poured into boiling tube A1 while boiling tube
A1 is still in the hot water bath. The stopwatch is started immediately.
7. The time taken for the mixture to turn colourless is recorded.
8. Steps 5-7 is repeated for boiling tubes A2 and B2.

Precaution and Fair Test

1. Because hydrochloric acid is a corrosive substance, it was handled carefully. Contact
with the skin was avoided by wearing gloves.
2. The graduated cylinders were first washed with distilled water to ensure that they
were clean, and then with the solutions they would measure to remove water droplets

sticking onto the inner surface of the graduated cylinders. This prevents the dilution
from occurring upon the measuring of the solutions.
3. Upon measuring the volumes, solutions were poured in the graduated cylinders until
its level is near the intended volume mark. A dropper was then used to add more drops
of the solution to ensure that the volume intended to be used accurate.
4. The solutions and mixtures were heated using hot water baths only, and not heated
directly.
5. Care was given that the thermometers did not touch the bases of the boiling tubes but
was kept sustained in the solutions. This was to ensure that the temperature measured
was the temperature of the solutions and not the boiling tube upon heating.
6. A piece of white paper was placed behind the boiling tube of which the reaction was
occurring inside so that any colour change can be clearly seen.
7. Hands were washed thoroughly after conducting this experiment.
8. The concentrations and volumes of the sodium thiosulphate solution and sulphuric
acid used are kept constant so that they do not have any effect on the rate of reaction.

Evaluation of Data
Part A
Table A: Effect of Reactant Concentration on Reaction Rate
Volume of

Volume of

Total Volume

Concentration of

0.25mol L-1 of

H20 added

after mixing

Na2S2O3 (mol L-

Na2S2O3 (mL)

(mL)

(mL)

45
35
25
15
5

0
10
20
30
40

50
50
50
50
50

0.225
0.175
0.125
0.075
0.025

Time Taken
for Cross to
Disappear
(s)
0.0685
0.1041
0.12
0.2181
1.04

1/time (s-1)

16.6667
10.0
8.3333
4.7629
0.9615

Part B
Table B: Effect of Temperature and Catalyst on Reaction Rate
Temperature

Without Catalyst MnSO4 (A1 + B1)

(oC)
30
35
40
50

t (s)
1.3375
1.0387
0.2866
0.1094

1/t (s-1)
0.7519
0.9709
3.5714
10.0

With Catalyst MnSO4 (A2 + B2)

t (s)
0.3297
0.1661
0.1306
0.0613

1/t (s-1)
3.0331
6.0205
7.6570
16.3132

Observation
Part A
Sodium thiosulphate solution, hydrochloric acid solution and the distilled water were
colourless. When hydrochloric acid was added to the sodium thiosulphate solution in the
conical flask, sulphur is formed and caused the solution to change from colourless to a cloudy
suspension of fine light-yellow powder. The X mark could be clearly seen before the
addition of hydrochloric acid. But as soon as the hydrochloric acid is added, the X mark
slowly disappeared. The time taken for the X mark to disappear seemed proportional to
the concentration of the Sodium thiosulphate solution.

Part B
Oxalic acid solution is colourless and a clear solution, the potassium permanganate solution
has a deep purple colour. The Manganese (II) Sulphate is a clear solution has a slight tinge of

pink in its colour. When they were all poured together into a boiling tube inside a water bath,
a dark brown colour solution was formed which then turned to a colourless clear solution. It
appeared that the higher the temperature, the higher the rate of reaction. The presence of a
catalyst also increased the rate of reaction.

Results
Part A
The chemical reaction between sodium thiosulphate and hydrochloric acid resulted in sulphur
being precipitated slowly. The equation is as below:
NaSO (aq) + 2HCl (aq) 2NaCl (aq) + SO (aq) + HO(l) + S(s)
This reaction can also be represented by the ionic equation:
SO2- (aq) + 2H+ (aq) S (s) + SO2 (aq) + H2O (l)
Sulphur dioxide is a gas at room temperature, but is very soluble in water. Sulphur is a waterinsoluble solid. As a result, the solution first becomes cloudy and then opaque. In this
reaction, the sulphur formed caused the solution to change from colourless to a cloudy
yellowish suspension.
As the volume of water used was increased, the concentration of sodium thiosulphate solution
decreased. Resulting in a longer time taken for the cross X to disappear from sight.
Therefore, the lower the concentration of reactant, the longer the time taken for the cross X
to disappear from the sight, and hence the lower the rate of reaction. The cross X drawn on
a white paper could be seen clearly at the start of the experiment. Time is started the moment
the hydrochloric acid is added to the sodium thiosulphate solution in the conical flask. After
the hydrochloric acid was added, the solid sulphur formed from the reaction caused the
solution to become cloudy and yellow in which made it difficult to see the cross mark

underneath the conical flask. When the cross X could no longer be seen, it is said to have
disappeared. Time is stopped at the very moment the cross X could no longer be seen.

Part B
When they were all poured together into a boiling tube inside a water bath, a dark brown
colour solution was formed which then turned to a colourless clear solution. As the
temperature was subsequently increased, the time take for the dark brown colour solution
formed to turn into a colourless and clear solution decreased. This means that the higher the
temperature, the higher the rate of reaction. When the experiment was repeated with the same
corresponding temperatures but this time with the presence of a catalyst. The time take for the
dark brown colour solution formed to turn into a colourless and clear solution was
tremendously shorter in comparison to its corresponding temperature in the first experiment.
This showed that the presence of a catalyst can also increase the rate of reaction. The reaction
was considered to be complete when there was no remnant of any brown coloured particle in
the solution, and only a clear and colourless solution remained.

Analysis of Data
Part A

Graph of 1/Time(s-1) against Sodium Thiosulphate Concentration (mol/L)

0.25

0.2

0.15

1/Time (s-1 )
0.1

0.05

10

12

14

16

18

Sodium Thiosulphate Concentration (mol/L)

The graph of 1/Time(s-1) against Sodium Thiosulphate Concentration (mol/L) is a

straight line that passes through the origin. This shows that the rate of reaction denoted by
1/Time is directly proportional to the concentration of the sodium thiosulphate solution.
Therefore, the hypothesis is accepted. Based on the observation of the experiment, as the
concentration of sodium thiosulphate used decreases, a longer time is taken for the cross to
completely disappear from sight. Based on the Collision Theory, the higher the concentration
of sodium thiosulphate, the more numbers of sodium thiosulphate molecules per unit volume.
This increases collision frequency of sodium thiosulphate molecules with HCl molecules, and

hence higher effective collision frequency. This results in a higher rate of reaction. The
addition of water and the increase volume decreased the concentration of sodium
thiosulphate. This means that the more water is added, the fewer molecules of sodium
thiosulphate molecules per unit volume. This decreases the rate of effective collision,
consequently lowering the rate of reaction. It can also be said that the volume of water is
inversely proportional to the rate of reaction. During the experiment, sodium thiosulphate
reacts with hydrochloric acid to form sodium chloride, sulphur, sulphur dioxide and water.
The reaction can be represented by the chemical equation:
Na2S2O3 + 2 HCl 2 NaCl + S + SO2 + H2O
This reaction can also be represented by the ionic equation:
S2O32-(aq) + 2H+ (aq) S (s) + SO2(aq) + H2O (l)

Part B

Graph of 1/Time against Temperature

18
16
14
12
Without Catalyst MnSO4 (A1
+ B1)

10

1/t (s-1)

Exponential (Without
Catalyst MnSO4 (A1 + B1))

With Catalyst MnSO4 (A2 +

B2)
Exponential (With Catalyst
MnSO4 (A2 + B2))

6
4
2
0
25

30

35

40

45

50

55

Temperature (oC)

The graph of 1/Time(s-1) against Temperature (oC) is an exponential graph. This shows that
the rate of reaction denoted by 1/Time is directly proportional to the temperature of the
reacting solution. Therefore, the hypothesis is accepted. Based on the observation of the
experiment.The higher the temperature, the particles in possess higher kinetic energy.
Because of that, they move around more quickly. This results in a higher frequency of
effective collision which leads to a higher rate of reaction.
It can also be seen that the graph of the catalysed reaction has a higher rate of reaction
compared to the graph whereby the reaction had no catalyse in it. Therefore, the hypothesis is

also accepted.

Based on the observation of the experiment, the presence of a catalyst

decreases the time taken for the brown solution to turn to colourless and clear when
compared to the corresponding temperature in the uncatalysed reaction. Based on the
Collision Theory,a

catalyst provides an alternative route for the reaction with a lower

activation energy. This means that the presence of a catalyst will lower the activation energy
in a reaction where more reactant particles with lower reaction energy can change into
products if the collision produces minimum energy as the activation energy. The particles that
collide just need to possess energy greater or equal to the alternate activation energy provided
by the catalyst. They do not need to achieve the initial higher activation energy without the
presence of the catalyst. Therefore, the rate of effective collision increases, and thus a higher
rate of reaction is observed.

Discussion
Part A
1. The experiments should have been conducted in a vacuum chamber to prevent any
evaporation and oxidation of the solutions which may lead to inaccurate readings of
the reactions.
2. Electronic lasers should be employed to measure the opacity of the solution so that the
magnitude of the cross disappearing can be kept constant. This is to ensure that the
conditions of when the reaction is completed remains constant.

Part B
1. The temperature of the water should be monitored using an electronic thermometer to
ensure that the intended temperatures which the experiments are to be carried out are
accurately measured which would leave no room for parallax error and error s
resulting from problems in the expansion and contraction of the mercury in the
mercury thermometers used.
2. Electronic lasers should be employed to measure the opacity of the solution so that the
magnitude of the brown species in the solution turning colourless and clear can be
kept constant. This is to ensure that the conditions of when the reaction is completed
remains constant.

References
Brown, T. L. et al., 2009. Chemical Kinetics. In: Chemistry The Central Science. Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education International, pp. 672-596.
Chang, R., 2007. Chemistry. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill .
Lee, L. Y., Lee, P. B., Sivaneson, N. & Yean, L. C., 2011. Chemistry for SPM. Shenton Way,
Singapore: Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd.