The Effect of Temperature on a
Catalytic Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide
2018
Contents:
Introduction 3
Hypothesis 3
Variables 3
Experimental Plan 4
Results 5
Data Processing 6
Discussion 7
Conclusion 8
Evaluation 8
Introduction:
The aim of this investigation is to analyze the effects different reaction temperatures have on reaction rates and the relationship that exists between them. The reaction occurring will be the catalytic decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide with the assistance of the catalyst, Potassium Iodide. The decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide,
Is, in normal circumstances, a very slow reaction but to increase this reaction rate, the catalyst Potassium Iodide (KI) will be used. In this decomposition, the hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen. This investigation will hopefully prove the existence of collision theory by enforcing that there is a relationship between temperature and reaction rate. Throughout this investigation, the Arrhenius Equation,
Will be integral. This equation used various values such as the activation energy, the gas constant, a frequency factor and most importantly, the reaction temperature to calculate the rate of a reaction. This will be a vital step in understanding the relationship between reaction temperature and reaction rate.
Hypothesis:
The hypothesis is that an increase in reaction temperature will lead to an increase in reaction rate- cool reaction temperatures will have the slowest reaction and higher temperatures the fastest. This relationship can be explained using Collison theory. Collision theory states that by adding heat to a substance, the particles will have more kinetic energy and thus will move around at greater velocities. Because of this, the frequency at which these particles collide will increase leading to a faster reaction rate. Seeing as the particles have, on average, more energy due to the increase of temperature, a greater number of them will have enough energy to react. In other words, more particles will exceed the activation energy. These two factors, frequency of collision and amount of collisions both lead to an increase in reaction rate when more heat is added. Thus, the hypothesis is that the coldest reaction temperature will have the slowest reaction and the highest reaction temperature will react the fastest.
Variables:
Independent Variable:
The independent variable in this investigation, a variable that will impact the dependent variable, is the temperature of the Hydrogen Peroxide when the reaction occurs. This will directly affect the dependent variable.
Dependent Variable:
The dependent variable in this investigation is the reaction rate of hydrogen peroxide with the catalyst, potassium iodide. This will be measured in kPa/s.
Control Variable:
To ensure that this investigation is as fair and thus as valid as possible, certain elements must be precisely controlled. These variables are...
