T.A.

MARRYSHOW COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SCHOOL OF ARTS, SCIENCES AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS
CHEMISTRY

EXPERIMENT # ____

TITLE: Rate of Reaction.

AIM: To investigate the effect of temperature on the rate of reaction.

INTRODUCTION/PRINCIPLE: The effect of temperature is very important, since many reactions

require some form of heat to initiate. An increase in temperature is usually associated with an
increase in the rate of reaction but this does not explain how rapidly the reaction rate increases.
An increase in temperature increases the rate of reaction by increasing the rate constant. The
variation of the constant with temperature was studied by Arrhenius and found to fit the equation:
k = Ae-E/RT,
where k is the rate constant, A is Arrhenius constant and can be regarded as a collision
frequency and orientation factor, and e-E/RT represents an activation state factor.
As temperature rises, the average speed of the reacting particles increases and the number of
collision per unit time, this results in an increase in the rate of the reaction. The rates of many
chemical reactions are doubled for a temperature rise of 10K.
In this experiment you will be required to investigate the effect of increase temperature on the
rate of reaction between sodium thiosulphate and dilute hydrochloric acid. When the reaction
occurs, the reacting mixture becomes cloudy and the reaction rate can be monitored by the
disappearance of a cross place on a white piece of paper. The cloudiness is caused by the
precipitation of sulphur; as the precipitate thickens, its yellow colour becomes apparent.
S2O32-(aq) + 2H+(aq) → S(s) + SO2(g) + H2O(l)

APPARATUS/MATERIALS: 50mL measuring cylinder, 10mL measuring cylinder, 250mL beaker,

thermometer, hotplate, stopclock, bottle brush, a cross (drawn on a white sheet of paper), A –
0.50M sulphuric acid, B – 16 gdm-3 sodium thiosulphate.5H2O.

PROCEDURE:

1. Using a measuring cylinder place 50mL of solution B into the 250mL beaker
and record the temperature of the solution.

2. Add using the 10mL measuring cylinder, 10mL of the 0.50 M H2SO4 to this
solution, all at once, starting the stop clock as you do so.
 3. Place the beaker on top of the white paper with the cross and record the time
it takes to obscure the crossed completely. Discard the mixture and wash
thoroughly the beaker.

4. Repeat the above procedure by first heating the sodium thiosulphate 5 oC

above its original temperature using the Bunsen burner, tripod and wire
gauze provided.
Note: leaving the flame under the beaker until the temperature raises
50C, may result in the solution exceeding the required temperature after
being removed. Avoid exceeding the required temperature for it is
easier to add heat than to remove heat.

5. Repeat six more times, in each case increasing the temperature by five
degrees Celcius (5 oC).

6. Record your result in the table below.

# Temperature / 0C Time /s 1/Time (rate) /s-1

Room temperature (record)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

QUESTIONS:

1. Plot a graph of time(s) against temperature (K).

2. Plot a graph of 1/time(s-1) against temperature (K), where 1/time(s-1) is an
indication of the reaction rate.

3. What conclusions can you draw from the graph of 1/time(s -1) against
temperature(K) about the increase in temperature with the reaction rate?