Which of the following is one way to increase the rate of a chemical reaction?

• A. Remove the catalyst
• B. Increase the concentration of reactants
• C. Decrease the temperature
• D. Reduce the surface area of a solid reactant

Answer: (B)

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 provide an alternative pathway with lower activation energy.
4. Know that decreasing the temperature usually slows down the reaction rate because molecules have less kinetic energy and collide less frequently and with less energy.
5. Understand that reducing the surface area of a solid reactant decreases the reaction rate because fewer particles are exposed to react, leading to fewer effective collisions.