Powdering a solid reactant increases the rate of reaction because it increases the

  • A. concentration of the solid
  • B. temperature of the mixture
  • C. activation energy
  • D. surface area available for collisions

Explanation

A reaction between a solid and a fluid can only occur at the exposed surface, so grinding the solid exposes far more particles and the collision frequency rises in proportion. This is why a fine dust of flour or coal can explode while a solid lump merely burns. The concentration of a pure solid has no meaning, and neither the temperature nor the activation energy is affected.

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