An investigation to see how Hydrochloric acid reacts with Magnesium to produce Hydrogen gas

Essay by rabia_s December 2005

download word file, 8 pages 4.0

Downloaded 19 times

The aim of the investigation is to see how different concentrations of Hydrochloric acid affect the rate at which hydrogen gas is produced when it is reacted with a strip of magnesium.

The rate of a reaction is a measure of change that happens in a single unit of time. When a chemical reaction takes place the particles of the reactants collide. The more often the particles collide the more likely they are to react and so the faster the reaction. The speed at which a reaction takes place can vary and depends on a number of factors:

- The surface area of any solid reactants.

- The concentration of reactants (including pressure in the case of gases)

- The temperature

- The presence of a catalyst

In this particular investigation an acid and a metal will be reacted to produce some gas, and therefore one of the main factors will be the concentration of the reactants.

In order for magnesium and acid particles to react together:

- They must collide with each other

- The collisions must have enough energy

If there are a lot of successful collisions in a given minute then, a lot of hydrogen is produced in that minute. The rate of a reaction depends on the number of successful collisions there are in a given minute.

To get any reaction to start there is a certain energy requirement known as the activation energy. The presence of a catalyst lowers this requirement and this means that the reaction can take place more readily.

DIAGRAM

Gas tube Delivery tube

Bung

Plastic bowl or trough Conical flask

Clamp and stand

An investigation to see how Hydrochloric acid reacts with Magnesium to produce Hydrogen gas

Equipment that you will need:

Conical flask Gas tube

Bung Goggles

Delivery tube Stop...