EFFECT OF SURFACE AREA ON THE RATE OF REACTION

Teacher’s Guide/ Chemistry Form 5/ Spreadsheet

SCIENTIFIC CONCEPT

The effect of surface area on the rate of reaction can be determine by comparing two
experiment. The first experiment is the rate of reaction for the big chuck of marble . While,
the second experiment is for the powder of marble. The smaller size of reactant, the larger the
surface area of the marble (solid), the faster the reaction will be.

Experiment 1: The rate of reaction for the big chunk of marble

Time (s) 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240

Reading of 50.0 45.5 41.5 38.0 35.0 32.5 30.5 28.0 27.5
burette (cm3)

The Volume 0.0 4.5 8.5 12.0 15.0 17.5 19.5 22.0 22.5
of gas (cm3)

Experiment 2: The rate of reaction for the powder of marble.

Time (s) 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240

Reading of 50.0 42.0 35.0 30.0 25.5 22.0 19.5 17.5 16.0
burette (cm3)

The Volume 0.0 8.0 15.0 20.0 24.5 28.0 30.5 32.5 34.0
of gas (cm3)

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UNIQUE FEATURE OF THIS ACTIVITY

• The data can be manipulated easily, for example every 30 second, the level of water in
the burette was taken.

• Data displayed in a systematic manner, save time in drawing graph, show relationship
of different size of marble against time.

• Student will discover that a spreadsheet can be used to process data.

• Allow the student to do more important things such as analyzing the data or the graph.

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 ENGAGE

You are given two different pictures. Observe the picture carefully.

( A) (B)

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What can you observe from the picture?

Based on the picture, which one having larger of surface area? Why? Explain briefly.

EMPOWER

Step

1. Student are given:

• Conical flask

• Stopwatch
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 • Burette

• Basin

• Retort stand

2. Student needs to plan an experiment to determine the effect of surface area on

the rate of reaction.

3. Student has to construct a hypothesis for this experiment.

4. Student should know the effect of surface area of the reaction.

5. Help student to determine the variables involved.

6. You may give these instructions to start the activity:

 Open a spreadsheet file

 Name the file as ‘effect of surface area on the rate of reaction’

 Fill the burette with full water and overturn it in the basin which contain
water.

 Press the burette into the retort stand and adjust the initial reading level
of water and the reading was taken.

 Weight 7.0 g the big chunk marble and place into the conical flask

 Pour 50 cm3 hydrochloric acid into conical flask and delivery tube fixed
instantly.

 Stopwatch started simultaneously and deep water level burette logged at

gap 30 second during 4 minutes.

 Record the volume in the column C

 Repeat the procedure by using 7.0 g the powder marble.

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RESULTS:

Experiment 1: The rate of reaction for the big chunk of marble

Time (s) 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240

Reading of
50.0 45.5 41.5 38.0 35.0 32.5 30.5 28.0 27.5
burette (cm3)
The Volume
0.0 4.5 8.5 12.0 15.0 17.5 19.5 22.0 22.5
of gas (cm3)

Experiment 2: The rate of reaction for the powder of marble.

Time (s) 0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240

Reading of
50.0 42.0 35.0 30.0 25.5 22.0 19.5 17.5 16.0
burette (cm3)
The Volume
0.0 8.0 15.0 20.0 24.5 28.0 30.5 32.5 34.0
of gas (cm3)

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QUESTION:

1. Which the reactant that having the highest the rate of reaction?

2. Write the chemical equation for this experiment.

3. What type of gas formed in the burette?

ANSWER:

1. The powder of marble.

2. CaCO3 (p) + 2HCl (aq) → CaCl2 (aq) + H2O ( l ) + CO2 (g)

3. Carbon dioxide

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 ENHANCE

( A) (B)

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When both sugars were dissolve in the water at room temperature, which one will
fully dissolve faster? Explain.

ANSWER:

Sugar B will dissolve first. It is because sugar B has smaller size than sugar A. The
smaller size of sugar, the larger the surface area of the sugar, the faster the reaction
will be.