Final answer:
Chemical reactions generally occur faster at higher temperatures. The rate of a reaction is approximately doubled for every 10 °C rise in temperature. To find the temperature at which the speed of a given reaction is the fastest, we need to calculate the rate difference between each temperature option and the initial temperature.
Step-by-step explanation:
Chemical reactions generally occur faster at higher temperatures. When the temperature is raised by 10 °C, the rate of reaction is approximately doubled. Therefore, to determine at which temperature the speed of a given chemical reaction is the fastest, we need to find the temperature with the highest increase in rate compared to the initial temperature.
Using the information given, we can calculate the difference in rate between each temperature option and the initial temperature. The temperature with the highest increase in rate will correspond to the fastest speed of the reaction.
Let's calculate the rate difference for each option:
A. 10 °F: rate difference = rate at 10 °F - rate at initial temperature
B. 20 °F: rate difference = rate at 20 °F - rate at initial temperature
C. 30 °F: rate difference = rate at 30 °F - rate at initial temperature
D. 40 °F: rate difference = rate at 40 °F - rate at initial temperature
By comparing these rate differences, we can determine the temperature at which the speed of the reaction is the fastest.
The speed of a chemical reaction is fastest at the highest temperature; therefore, out of the given options, a chemical reaction is fastest at 40 °F.
The speed of a chemical reaction is fastest at higher temperatures because increased thermal energy causes particles to have higher kinetic energy, making them move faster and collide more frequently, leading to more reactions. Given the options 10 °F, 20 °F, 30 °F, and 40 °F, the chemical reaction will be fastest at 40 °F as it is the highest temperature provided. This is in line with the rule that for many chemical processes, reaction rates double with every 10 °C increase in temperature, which corresponds to an increase of approximately 18 °F.