Chemical Changes & Structure
This section covers the fundamentals of reaction rates and factors that influence them in National 5 Chemistry.
Definition: The rate of reaction is calculated using the formula: rate = Δ quantity / Δ time
Factors that increase reaction rates include:
- Increasing particle size (for solids)
- Increasing concentration
- Increasing temperature
- Using catalysts
Vocabulary: Catalysts are substances that speed up chemical reactions without being consumed. They can be heterogeneous (different state from reactants) or homogeneous (same state as reactants).
Example: Enzymes are biological catalysts that speed up reactions in living cells.
The section also covers methods for following reactions by measuring changes in concentration, mass, or volume of reactants and products.
Highlight: The rate of reaction at a given stage is calculated using the formula: rate = 1 / t
An example graph is provided to illustrate how to calculate the rate of reaction during the first 120 seconds of a gas-producing reaction.







