FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

LABORATORY REPORT

PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
(471)

TITLE OF EXPERIMENT KINETICS: AFFECTING RATES OF

REACTION
NO OF EXPERIMENT 1
NAME HUSNA INSYIRAH BT SAMAD
STUDENT ID NUMBER 2017411714
PROGRAMME CODE AS202
DATE OF EXPERIMENT 19 MARCH 2018
DATE OF LAB REPORT SUBMITTED 25 MARCH 2018
OBJECTIVE
To study the factors affecting rates of reaction

INTRODUCTION
The speed at which chemical reaction happens is called the rate of reaction. It is a
measure of a change in concentration of reactant or product per unit time. Chemical reactions
can occur either instantaneous or in a long period of time. When the reaction has lower rates,
it means that the molecules combine at a slower rate than the one that has higher rate
reaction.
The rate of chemical reactions are affected by several factors; the concentration of
reactants, the presence of catalyst and the temperature. When the temperature of a system is
raised, the rate of reaction increases. The molecules bounce around and more likely to collide
and combine as they have a lot of energy. The rate of reaction will speed up as there will be
more collision among the molecules when there are more substances or high concentration in
the system. Lastly, increase in the rate or reaction are influenced by the presence of catalyst
that lower the activation energy without it being consumed in the process.
In this experiment, we observe the reaction between hydrogen peroxide, H2O2 and
potassium iodide, KI to see the effect of the concentration on the rate of reaction.
H2O2 + 2I- + 2H+ → 2H2O + I2
I2 + 2S2O32- → 2I- + S4O62-
Sodium thiosulphate and starch are added to the mixture to react as soon as the I2
produced has used up all the thiosulphate. It will react with the starch to form a blue black in
colour. By keeping the concentration of H2O2 remain the same but changing the
concentration of KI, the rate is determined by the time taken for the formation of the blue-
black colour.
To observe the effect of temperature and catalyst on the rate of reaction, we use oxalic
acid, H2C2O4 with acidified potassium permanganate, KMnO4. Manganese sulphate, MnSO4
is used as a catalyst. The time taken for the disappearance of the dark purple colour of
KMnO4 shows the rate of the reaction.
→
2MnO4 + 5C2O42- + 16H+ 2Mn2+ + 10CO2 + 8H2O

APPARATUS
1. Stopwatch
2. Hot water bath
3. Test tubes
4. 10cm3 measuring cylinder
5. Dropper
6. 50cm3 beaker
7. Conical flask
CHEMICALS
1. 0.1M hydrogen peroxide, H2O2
2. 0.1M potassium iodide, KI
3. 2M sulphuric acid. H2SO4
4. 0.01M potassium permanganate, KMnO4
5. 0.5M oxalic acid, H2C2O4
6. 0.1M manganese sulphate, MnSO4
7. 0.005M sodium thiosulphate, Na2S2O3
8. Starch solution

PROCEDURE
A. EFFECT OF CONCENTRATION
1. 10cm3 of KI and 10cm3 of H2SO4 was measured into a conical flask. Then, 10cm3 of
Na2S2O3 and three drops of starch solution were added into the same flask.
2. 10cm3 of H2O2 was measured into a beaker. The H2O2 was quickly poured into the
conical flask before containing KI, H2SO4, Na2S2O3 and starch. The mixture was
shake and immediately the stopwatch was started. The stopwatch was stopped as the
blue-black colour appears. The time for the appearance of the blue-back colour was
recorded.
3. Steps 1 and 2 were repeated as 2cm3, 4cm3, 6cm3 and 8cm3 of water were diluted to
the beaker, while the volume of KI was reduced to maintain a total volume of 30cm3
solution.

B. EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE
1. 3cm3 of KMnO4 and 3cm3 of H2SO4 were measured into a test tube.
2. 3cm3 of oxalic acid was measured into another test tubes and the oxalic acid was
quickly added to the first test tube. The mixture was shake and the stopwatch was
immediately started. The time for the dark purple colour of KMnO4 to disappear was
recorded.
3. Steps 1 and 2 were repeated but this time at 40°C, 50°C and 60°C. The test tubes must
be immersed in hot water bath until the solutions are at the required temperature
before the solution was mixed.

C. EFFECT OF PRESENCE OF CATALYST

1. Steps 1 and 2 were in B were repeated but three drops of MnSO4 was added to the
first test tube.
RESULTS
CALCULATIONS

PART A
i. M1V1 = M2V2 Rate of reaction = 0.025 M
0.1(10) = M2(40) 31 s
M2 = 0.025M = 0.0008 M/s

ii. M1V1 = M2V2 Rate of reaction = 0.02 M

0.1(8) = M1(40) 36 s
M2 = 0.02M = 0.0006 M/s

iii. M1V1 = M2V2 Rate of reaction = 0.015M

0.1(6) = M2(40) 52 s
M2 = 0.015M = 0.0003 M/s

iv. M1V1 = M2V2 Rate of reaction = 0.01M

0.1(4) = M2(40) 76 s
M2 = 0.01M = 0.0001 M/s

v. M1V1 = M2V2 Rate of reaction = 0.005M

0.1(2) = M2(40) 165 s
M2 = 0.005M = 3 x 10 -5 M/s

PART B
M1V1 = M2V2
0.01(3) = M2(9)
M2 = 3.33 x 10-3 M
i. Rate of reaction at room temperature = 3.33 x 10-3 M
120 s
= 2.78 x 10 -5 M/s

ii. Rate of reaction at 60°C = 3.33 x 10-3 M

30 s
= 1.11 x 10-4 M/s
 iii. Rate of reaction at 50°C = 3.33 x 10-3 M
38 s
= 8.76 x 10-5 M/s

iv. Rate of reaction at 40°C = 3.33 x 10-3 M

53 s
= 6.28 x 10-5 M/s

PART C

Rate of reaction = 3.33 x 10-3 M

111 s
= 3 x 10-5 M/s

DISCUSSIONS

In this experiment, we are observing the factors affecting the rate of reaction in
concentration, temperature and the presence of catalyst. For part A, we are determined the
rate of reaction on the effect of concentration. We have mixed KI, H 2SO4, Na2S2O3 and starch
solution together to be reacted. Different volume of H2O was being diluted with different
volume of KI so that the total volume of the solution are 30cm3. The time taken for the
mixture to turn blue-black in colour has recorded. The time taken of the reaction mixture
increases when the volume of water increases. It means that the higher concentration of
reactants lead to a higher rate of reaction as there more effective collisions per unit time.

In Part B, we are examined the reaction between KMnO4, H2SO4 and oxalic acid to
see the effect of temperature on the rate of reaction. We mixed the solution at room
temperature, 40°C, 50°C and 60°C. The time taken for the dark purple colour of KMnO4 to
disappear decreases when the temperature increases. We know that when the average kinetic
energy higher, the particles collide frequently and move faster per unit time. It shows that an
increase in temperature is accompanied by an increase in the reaction rate.

In Part C, we want to see the effect of catalyst on the reaction rate by adding three
drops of MnSO4 that act as a catalyst into the same mixture as in part A. it takes about 111
second for the dark purple colour of KMnO4 to disappear. MnSO4 has increased the rate of
reaction without being consumed in the process as it lower the activation energy in a
chemical reaction.

There are some factors that may affect the results when handling this experiment. The
apparatus used may have the balance chemical solution as they are not properly clean and
dry. Besides, there will be parallax error when we measure the volume of solutions as the
eyes of the observer are not in the correct position. After that, the time taken for the
appearance of the solution to change are not recorded accurately. The solutions are not
swirled properly to be mixed thoroughly. To overcome all these errors that may affect the
results, the apparatus used must cleaned first so that it would not be mixed with another
balance solutions used before. The eyes of the observer should be perpendicular to the
reading scale of the apparatus. The time taken to record the changes of solution’s appearance
should be accurate. The solutions has to be swirled properly so that the solution mixed
thoroughly to completely react.

CONCLUSION
1. Increasing in the concentration of reactants lead to an increasing in the rate of
reaction.
2. As the temperature of the reactants are higher, the rate of reaction are also higher.
3. Reaction rate increases when there is a catalyst.

REFERENCES
1. W. J. Moore (1972), Physical Chemistry, 3rd Edition, Longman, London.
2. Arther Adamson (1970). A Textbook of Physical Chemistry, 2th Edition, Academic
Press.
3. Shoemaker, D.P. (1989). Experiments in Phisical Chemistry, International Edition.
McGraw-Hill.
4. Laidler, Keith (1993). The World of Physical Chemistry, 2th Edition, Oxford
University Press.
5. http://www.chem4kids.com/files/react_rates.html

QUESTIONS
1. Define activation energy. What role does activation energy play in chemicals
kinetics?
Activation energy is the energy level that the reactant molecules must overcome
before the reaction can occur. The rate constant and reaction rate decreases when
activation energy increases. It increases as the temperature increases.

2. Write the Arrhenius equation and define all terms.

K = Ae-Ea/RT
Where
K is the rate constant
T is the absolute temperature (in Kelvins)
A is the pre-exponential factor, a constant for each chemical reaction
Ea is the activation energy for the reaction
R is the universal gas constant
3. Use the Arrhenius equation show why the rate constant of reaction:
a) Decreases with increasing activation energy
When k decreases, the negative value of Ea will increases. It means that the value of
Ea also increases.

b) Increases with increasing temperature

The rate of reaction increases when the temperature increases as the rate of collisions
are higher, thus the activation energy become positive.

4. Variation of the rate constant with temperature for the first-order reaction is given in
the following table. Determine graphically the activation energy for the reaction.

T (K) K (s-1)
298 1.74 x 10-5
308 6.61 x 10-5
318 2.51 x 10-4
328 7.59 x 10-4
338 2.40 x 10-3
JOTTER