Which of the following factors primarily influence the rate of a chemical reaction?

• A. Color of the reactants
• B. Shape of the reaction vessel
• C. Presence of inert gases
• D. Concentration of reactants

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the rate of a chemical reaction depends on factors that affect how often and how effectively reactant molecules collide.
2. Recognize that the concentration of reactants influences the frequency of collisions between reactant molecules, thus directly affecting the reaction rate.
3. Note that the color of reactants is generally unrelated to reaction rate unless it affects light absorption in photochemical reactions, which is not the case here.
4. Understand that the shape of the reaction vessel does not affect the reaction rate because it does not change the concentration or energy of the reactants.
5. Realize that the presence of inert gases at constant volume and temperature does not affect the reaction rate because they do not participate in the reaction or change reactant concentrations.