Measuring Reaction Rates

Measuring reaction rates shows how fast reactants are used up or products are formed over time. The rate of reaction is the change in the amount of a reactant or product per unit time. Because of that, scientists measure how a property changes as the reaction proceeds and connect that change to reactant or product amounts.

A chemical reaction involves the chemical transformation of reactants into products. As the reaction progresses, the concentration of reactants decreases while the concentration of products increases. This variance in concentrations of reactants and products can be plotted in a graph as a function of time.

The speed at which a reaction pr...