Research question: How does the surface area of the Alka Seltzer pills affect the amount of gas produced as measured by ml in the reaction?
Variables
INDEPENDENT: The independent variable is the pill's surface area to volume ratio. The pills will be split in half and quarters and ground into pebbles and powder. This variable will be changed 5 times during the experiment.
DEPENDENT: The instrument of measurement will be water displacement, a reliable method that accurately shows the amount of gas produced.
CONTROLLED: Time - Different times will affect the amount of gas produced. To keep the experiment fair, the gas will be recorded after …show more content…
Breaking the tablet into smaller pieces or grinding it into powder increases the surface area, providing more contact points for the reactants to collide. This contact area increases the likelihood of successful collisions, leading to a higher reaction rate and greater gas production. Additionally, it is important to note that temperature also plays a significant role in the reaction rate, with higher temperatures providing more energy to the molecules, increasing their kinetic energy and collision frequency. This higher energy and collision frequency further contribute to a higher reaction rate and increased gas …show more content…
As the surface area to volume ratio increased, the reaction rate increased, resulting in a greater amount of gas being produced. This relationship was shown by the bar chart, which showed a positive linear correlation between the surface area of the pills and the corresponding gas production. The results align with the background information, as a larger surface area provides more points for reactant molecules to collide and react, leading to a faster reaction rate (“15.2: The Rate of a Chemical Reaction”). The data analysis contributes to understanding chemical reactions and shows that surface area does have a correlation to reaction rates in the lab and not only in