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Year 11
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Appropriate equipment for measuring the rate of a reaction

I can suggest appropriate equipment to measure the rate of reaction depending on the reaction.

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New
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Year 11
Edexcel
Higher

Appropriate equipment for measuring the rate of a reaction

I can suggest appropriate equipment to measure the rate of reaction depending on the reaction.

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Share activities with pupils
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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Choosing the correct equipment is crucial for obtaining accurate and reliable results.
  2. An upturned measuring cylinder is suitable for reactions producing large volumes of gas at moderate rates.
  3. Gas syringes are ideal for measuring small volumes of gas with high precision.
  4. The size of the measuring equipment should be close to the expected volume of gas produced.
  5. Light sensors can be used to measure the percentage of light transmitted through a reaction producing a precipitate.

Keywords

  • Rate of reaction - Rate of reaction is the speed with which a chemical reaction takes place, measured by the amount of a reactant used or amount of product formed in a given time.

  • Volume - Volume is how much 3D space matter occupies. It is usually measured in cm³.

  • Accurate - Accurate measurements are those that are close to the true value.

  • Precise - Precise measurements have very little spread from the mean value. They are values that lie close to each other.

Common misconception

Thinking that precise and accurate are the same thing.

It may help to draw a bullseye target board. Precise results will all be close to each other but may not be near the bullseye. Accurate results will be near the bullseye but may be more scattered if they are not precise.

A teacher demonstration using the different equipment to measure rate of reaction will help students visualise these techniques and develop a greater understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of each technique.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
If a reaction effervescences, what does this tell us about the state of one of the products made?
the product is a solid
the product is a liquid
Correct answer: the product is a gas
the product is a solution
Q2.
If a product in a chemical reaction is a gas, how can we measure the volume of gas produced in a given time?
using a thermometer
Correct answer: using an inverted measuring cylinder
Correct answer: using a gas syringe
using a light sensor
using chromatography
Q3.
When a chemical reaction takes place in a closed system, which of the following may be observed?
the volume of the reactants increases
Correct answer: a colour change of the reaction mixture
change in mass of the reaction mixture
Correct answer: bubbles forming as a gas is produced
Correct answer: a precipitate forming
Q4.
How can we calculate the rate of reaction?
divide the change in temperature by the change in time
multiply the initial concentration of reactants
Correct answer: divide the change in volume of reactants by the change in time
subtract the final concentration of reactants
Q5.
Match the key terms to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:accurate,values that are close to the true value

values that are close to the true value

Correct Answer:precise,values that lie close to each other

values that lie close to each other

Correct Answer:repeatable,using the same method to obtain the same/similar results again

using the same method to obtain the same/similar results again

Correct Answer:reproducible,another person uses the same method to obtain the same/similar results

another person uses the same method to obtain the same/similar results

Q6.
A reaction produces 5 cm³ of gas in 10 seconds. What is the rate of reaction?
5 cm³
10 seconds
Correct answer: 0.5 cm³/s
5 cm³/s
50 mph

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which equipment is suitable for measuring the percentage of light transmitted through a reaction producing a precipitate?
thermometer
stopwatch
upturned measuring cylinder
gas syringe
Correct answer: light sensor
Q2.
When is an upturned measuring cylinder suitable for measuring gas volumes in a reaction?
when the reaction produces small volumes of gas rapidly
Correct answer: when the reaction produces large volumes of gas at a slow rate
when the gas needs to be collected over water
when the gas produced has a colour
Q3.
What should be considered when selecting the size of measuring equipment for gas volumes?
it should be smaller than expected to save space
it should be larger than expected to avoid overflow
Correct answer: it should be close to the expected volume of gas produced
it should be adjustable to accommodate different reactions
Q4.
Why are gas syringes considered ideal for measuring small volumes of gas with high precision?
they are less expensive than other equipment
they are transparent and easy to read
Correct answer: they have small graduations and are designed to prevent gas escaping
they can measure gases at high temperature
Q5.
If a reaction in an open system produces a gas, what can be measured to determine the rate of reaction?
the temperature change of the reaction mixture
the color change of the reaction mixture
Correct answer: the decrease in mass of the reaction mixture over time
the increase in volume of the reaction mixture
Q6.
In a reaction that produces a gas, what happens to the volume of gas produced per second as the reaction progresses?
it increases continuously
it remains constant
it increases and then remains constant
Correct answer: it decreases