Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I finished testing out my science project which is : can you change the reaction rate by changing the particle size of the reactants i found this project here in science buddies
and i couldn't find any research so far that helps me conduct a good conclusion, to why different sized reactants changes the chemical reaction rate. i dont understand why different sized reactants change the reaction rate

Hi,

Have you thought about the effect of surface area on the rate of reaction? Check ou this site:

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/basicratesmenu.html

And this Science Buddies project idea:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentorin ... p030.shtml

I hope this ansers your question.

Good luck with the project!

Best regards,

Barrett L. Tomlinson

Hi!

A more intuitive way to think about it is to think about antacid in water (that medicine that dissolves/sizzles in water to relieve heartburn)
If the antacid is a whole piece, it takes a while to dissolve.
However, if you crush it into a powder, it takes much less time for it to fully dissolve.
This is all about the surface area as previously mentioned

I hope that helps with the conceptual aspect of it!