Question

Which of the following actions would not increase the rate of a reaction?

A. Increasing the concentration of one reactant by a factor of 2.
B. Increasing the temperature by 1 degrees
C. Diluting the reactants by a factor of 2.
D. Adding a catalyst.

Answer 1

Diluting the reactants by a factor of 2 would not increase the reaction rate; it actually decreases it by reducing the number of particle collisions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the options provided, the action that would not increase the rate of a chemical reaction is diluting the reactants by a factor of 2.

This is because increasing the concentration of reactants typically increases the reaction rate due to a higher number of collisions between particles. Increasing the temperature also tends to increase the reaction rate by boosting the kinetic energy of the particles, leading to more frequent and energetic collisions. Adding a catalyst accelerates a reaction by providing an alternative pathway with a lower activation energy.