Which of the following actions would most likely increase the rate of a chemical reaction?

• A. Removing a catalyst
• B. Reducing the surface area of a solid reactant
• C. Decreasing the temperature
• D. Increasing the concentration of reactants

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the rate of a chemical reaction depends on factors such as concentration, temperature, surface area, and the presence of a catalyst.
2. Recall that increasing the concentration of reactants generally increases the frequency of collisions between reactant molecules, which can increase the reaction rate.
3. Recognize that removing a catalyst would decrease the reaction rate because catalysts lower the activation energy and speed up reactions.
4. Know that reducing the surface area of a solid reactant decreases the available area for collisions, thus slowing down the reaction.
5. Understand that decreasing the temperature reduces the kinetic energy of molecules, leading to fewer effective collisions and a slower reaction rate.