19a. Impact of Temperature on Reaction Rate
Hypothesis
Increasing the water temperature will increase the rate of reaction between water and Alka-Seltzer®.
Method
A transparent plastic beaker was marked with permanent marker approximately 2 cm from its base.
Chilled water was put into a large bowl to a depth of about 10 cm.
Warm water was added to the bowl until the temperature reached 10°C.
The beaker was filled with the water from the bowl, and held upside down in the bowl.
The Alka-Seltzer® tablet was put in the water under the beaker, and the time taken for gas to fill the beaker to the marked level was recorded.
The water was discarded, and the experiment was repeated with water at 20°C, 30°C and 40°C.
Diagram
Results and Analysis
| Water Temperature (°C) | Time for gas to fill beaker to the line (s) |
|---|---|
| 10 | 53 |
| 20 | 19 |
| 30 | 9 |
| 40 | 5 |
Conclusion
Increasing the water temperature increased the reaction rate between water and Alka-Seltzer®. This is because at higher temperatures there are more collisions between molecules, and each collision takes place with more energy.