Rate of Reaction & Equilibrium
Ever wondered why some reactions happen instantly whilst others take ages? The rate of reaction measures how quickly reactants transform into products, and it's all about particle collisions.
Collision theory explains that particles must crash into each other with enough energy to create a successful reaction. You can speed things up by increasing temperature (particles move faster), concentration (more particles in the same space), pressure (particles squashed together), or surface area (more exposed reaction sites).
Catalysts are like chemical matchmakers - they speed up reactions without getting used up themselves. Meanwhile, reversible reactions reach equilibrium when the forward and backward reactions happen at the same rate, shown by the ⇌ symbol.
Key Tip: Remember that Le Chatelier's Principle means equilibrium systems always fight back against changes - if you increase pressure, the system shifts to reduce it!
