Factors That Control Reaction Rates
You can actually control how fast chemical reactions happen by changing four key factors. Concentration is probably the easiest to understand - pack more reactant molecules into the same space and they'll bump into each other more often, speeding up the reaction.
Temperature works by giving molecules more energy to move around faster. Hot molecules zoom about and crash into each other with much more force than cold, sluggish ones. That's why we often heat things up in chemistry labs to make reactions go faster.
Surface area matters for solid reactants because reactions happen at the surface where molecules can actually meet. Crush a solid into powder and you've massively increased the surface area available for collisions.
Catalysts are like chemical shortcuts - they provide an easier pathway for molecules to react without getting used up themselves. Think of them as lowering the energy barrier that molecules need to overcome.
Exam Focus: These four factors (concentration, temperature, surface area, and catalysts) are absolute exam favourites, so make sure you can explain how each one affects collision frequency and energy!