outline the factors that influence the rate of a chemical reaction?

Answer 1

There are several factors that affect the rate of reaction:

* Concentration: Reaction rate increases with concentration, as described by the rate law and explained by collision theory. As reactant concentration increases, the frequency of collision increases and so does the fraction of collisions having sufficient energy to cause reaction.
* The nature of the reaction: Some reactions are naturally faster than others. The number of reacting species, their physical state (the particles that form solids move much more slowly than those of gases or those in solution), the complexity of the reaction and other factors can influence greatly the rate of a reaction.
* Temperature: Conducting a reaction at a higher temperature delivers more energy into the system and increases the reaction rate by causing more collisions between particles, as explained by collision theory. However, the main reason why it increases the rate of reaction is that more of the colliding particles will have the necessary activation energy resulting in more succesful collisions (when bonds are formed between reactants). The influence of temperature is described by the Arrhenius equation. As a rough rule of thumb, reaction rates for many reactions double or triple for every 10 degrees Celsius increase in temperature.[2]

For example, coal burns in a fireplace in the presence of oxygen but it doesn't when it is stored at room temperature. The reaction is spontaneous at low and high temperatures but at room temperature its rate is so slow that it is negligible. The increase in temperature, as created by a match, allows the reaction to start and then it heats itself, because it is exothermic. That is valid for many other fuels, as methane, butane, hydrogen...

* Solvent: Many reactions take place in solution and the properties of the solvent affect the reaction rate. The ionic strength as well has an effect on reaction rate.
* Pressure: The rate of gaseous reactions increases with pressure, which is, in fact, equivalent to an increase in concentration of the gas.
* Electromagnetic Radiation: Electromagnetic radiation is a form of energy so it may speed up the rate or even make a reaction spontaneous, as it provides the particles of the reactants with more energy. This energy is in one way or another stored in the reacting particles (it may break bonds, promote molecules to electronically or vibrationally excited states...) creating intermediate species that react easily.

For example when methane reacts with chlorine in the dark, the reaction rate is very low. It can be sped up when the mixture is put under diffused light. In bright sunlight, the reaction is explosive.

* A catalyst: The presence of a catalyst increases the reaction rate (in both the forward and reverse reactions) by providing an alternative pathway with a lower activation energy.

For example, platinum catalyzes the combustion of hydrogen with oxygen at room temperature.

* Isotopes: The kinetic isotope effect consists in a different reaction rate for the same molecule if it has different isotopes, usually hydrogen isotopes, because of the mass difference between protium and deuterium.
* Surface Area: In reactions on surfaces, which take place for example during heterogeneous catalysis, the rate of reaction increases as the surface area does. That is due to the fact that more particles of the solid are exposed and can be hit by reactant molecules.
* Order: The order of the reaction controls how the reactant concentration affects reaction rate.

All the factors that affect a reaction rate are taken into account in the rate equation of the reaction.

Answer 2

the stability of the bonds involved in the reaction, the temperature of the reaction, the number of molecules involved in the reaction (more molecules means more reaction events), the stereochemical access of reactive atoms (molecules with bulky constituents will slow down a reaction)
That's about as many as I can think of

Answer 3

Depend on the reaction.

Answer 4

Temperature, concentration and reactive affinity are couple of leading factors.