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Electronegativity Lab

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Problem: How does the electronegativity of 1.25 mol/L of hydrochloric acid, 1.25 mol/L of sulphuric acid, and 1.25 mol/L of nitric acid, affect the rate at which magnesium will react at room temperature(21°C)?
Background:
A chemical reaction is the rate at which a substance goes through a change and it is transformed into another substance that has different compositions as well as properties.1 The rate at which a chemical reaction occurs depends on many factors, some of which include the concentration of a reactant2, temperature2, collision theory and electronegativity3.
Concentration of a reactant effects the rate of reactivity. An increase in concentration means that there are more particles present in a substance and they become more …show more content…

If there is more heat involves in a reaction it will occur at a faster speed as the heat provides the particles with more energy. Likewise, if the temperature at which the reaction is occurring is low it will slow down the reaction. The experiment is being done at room temperature because then temperature does not play a great role in the reaction, and therefore the reaction is happening based solely on the acids, and metal.
Something else that is required for a chemical reaction to occur is the Collision theory. Collision theory is when particles collide with one another causing the substance to undergo a chemical change.5 Svante Arrhenius explains that the particles that are colliding should have kinetic energy that is strong enough to break the necessary bonds to make room for new bonds to be formed. The minimum amount of kinetic energy that is needed for a chemical reaction to happen is activation energy. The higher this is, the slower the reaction because there is a smaller amount of collisions with higher …show more content…

1.25 mol/L of hydrochloric acid, 1.25 mol/L of sulphuric acid, and 1.25 mol/L of nitric acid are being used because they are obtainable acids that range in electronegativity, which will help satisfy the purpose of the lab. Magnesium metal is being used because it has an electronegativity that is different from all acids and it reacts fairly well with all acids in a reasonable amount of time, therefore the experiment can be better executed. The experiment will be done at room temperature of 21°C to ensure that the temperature is not speeding up or slowing down the reaction, as well as saving time and providing more accuracy.
Chemical reactivity and its rate of reactivity is important as is can be applied in life. For example in medicine, different elements are mixed in a controlled environment to form medicines that are useful for the treatment of diseases. Also in the production of weapons such as guns and bombs, it is required for chemicals to react extremely vigorously to make the explosion go off and have the desired effect.6

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