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Effect of particle size on rate of reaction

Answer Text:
Effect of particle size on rate of reaction:
- A decrease in particle size (surface area) increases the rate of a chemical reaction; and an increase in particle size decreases the rate of a chemical reaction.
Reason:
- A smaller particle size means a larger total surface area and this offers a large surface on which the reacting particles can collide;
- This means more collisions, hence more chances of effective collisions leading to a higher rate of
reaction;
Example: Reaction between dilute HCl and marble chips The larger #CaCO_3# granules undergo a slower rate of reaction than the finely powdered #CaCO_3#