2.1.6

Rate of Reaction

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Rates of Chemical Reactions

The rate of a chemical reaction tells us how quickly reactants are converted into products. In industry, reaction rates are very important. However, faster reaction rates may not always be better.

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Maximum profit

  • In industry, making the required amount of product as cheaply as possible maximises all-important profit.
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Faster reactions

  • Faster reactions are often better as they yield more product in a given amount of time.
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Drawbacks

  • It may be expensive to generate the conditions for very fast reactions.
  • There can be safety concerns associated with very fast reactions.
    • Therefore, reaction rates used in industry are the result of a trade-off between speed, cost and safety.

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