Final answer:
Raising the temperature of a chemical reaction generally results in an increased reaction rate due to more frequent and forceful collisions of reactant particles.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering how external factors affect the rate of a chemical reaction, raising the temperature slightly tends to increase the rate of the reaction. This occurs because a higher temperature causes the reacting particles to move faster, which increases both the frequency and the force of their collisions.
Consequently, the chances that these collisions will result in a reaction — by surpassing the activation energy barrier — are enhanced. The key aspect of the temperature increase is that it leads to a predominance of effective collisions, which are those with enough energy to bring about a reaction. Therefore, the answer to the posed question is that raising the temperature slightly will increase the rate of a chemical reaction.