Effect of Concentration & Pressure (Oxford AQA International A Level Chemistry)

Revision Note

Philippa Platt

Written by: Philippa Platt

Reviewed by: Stewart Hird

Concentration & Rate of Reaction

  • The more concentrated a solution is, the greater the number of particles in a given volume of solvent

  • An increase in concentration causes in an increased collision frequency and therefore an increased rate of reaction

  • As the reactants are used up their concentration falls

    • Therefore, the reaction rate decreases over time

      Reaction Kinetics Concentration on Rate of Reaction,
      The diagram shows a higher concentration of particles in (b) which means that there are more particles present in the same volume than (a) so the chances and frequency of collisions between reacting particles is increased causing an increased rate of reaction

Pressure & Rate of Reaction

  • An increase in pressure in reactions that involve gases has the same effect as an increase in the concentrations of solutions

  • When the pressure is increased, the molecules have less space in which they can move

  • This means that the number of effective collisions increases due to an increased collision frequency

  • An increase in pressure, therefore, increases the rate of reaction

    Reaction Kinetics Pressure on Rate of Reaction, downloadable AS & A Level Chemistry revision notes
    The diagram shows a higher pressure in (b) which means that the same number of particles occupy a smaller volume, resulting in an increased collision frequency and therefore increased rate of reaction

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Philippa Platt

Author: Philippa Platt

Expertise: Chemistry

Philippa has worked as a GCSE and A level chemistry teacher and tutor for over thirteen years. She studied chemistry and sport science at Loughborough University graduating in 2007 having also completed her PGCE in science. Throughout her time as a teacher she was incharge of a boarding house for five years and coached many teams in a variety of sports. When not producing resources with the chemistry team, Philippa enjoys being active outside with her young family and is a very keen gardener

Stewart Hird

Author: Stewart Hird

Expertise: Chemistry Lead

Stewart has been an enthusiastic GCSE, IGCSE, A Level and IB teacher for more than 30 years in the UK as well as overseas, and has also been an examiner for IB and A Level. As a long-standing Head of Science, Stewart brings a wealth of experience to creating Topic Questions and revision materials for Save My Exams. Stewart specialises in Chemistry, but has also taught Physics and Environmental Systems and Societies.