Background Research: Nitric acid is a fantastically reactive compound that could react with a huge variety of substances, together

with metals. Steel wool is a

type of metal that consists of thin, flexible strands of metallic and can react with nitric acid to shape iron nitrate and hydrogen gas. By increasing the number of
collisions between reacting particles, the concentration of reactants can impact the pace of a chemical reaction. The collision the theory argues that for a reaction to
occur, particles must collide with enough energy and in the proper orientation. Numerous research have been conducted to study the link between concentration
and reaction rate, and the findings have consistently demonstrated that raising the concentration of reactants can increase the pace of a reaction.

Aim: To determine the relationship between the concentration of nitric acid and the rate of reaction with steel wool in order to understand how concentration
affects the rate of a chemical reaction.

Hypothesis: Increasing the concentration of nitric acid will result in a corresponding increase in the rate of the reaction with steel wool due to an increase in
successful collisions between nitric acid molecules and steel wool particles.

Equipment list:
Steel wool: A small piece of steel wool is required.
Water: A small amount of water is required
Test tube: A test tube is used to hold the steel wool and nitric acid.
Nitric acid: A small volume of 1M nitric acid is needed
Timer: A timer is used to record the time taken for the reaction to occur in both experiments.
Safety equipment: It is important to wear safety equipment, such as gloves and safety glasses, when handling chemicals to prevent accidents and protect yourself.
Lab coat: A lab coat should be worn to protect your clothes from potential spills or splatters.

Risk assessment:

Hazard Risk Precaution

The experiment not being conducted in a properly ventilated area The nitric acid fumes could cause respiratory Don’t stay too close to the beakers, make sure there is ventilation in the
irritation. room and wear safety equipment

Don’t add water into acid Adding water into acid can result in the solution Always add the acid into the water never do it vice versa.
may boiling very violently and splashing
concentrated acid, which if you touch can cause
burns.

Getting into direct contact with nitric acid Acids can cause severe burns if they come into Wear full safety equipment such as gloves, lab coat and leather shoes. And
contact with skin or eyes. If spill occurs then make sure to clean up immediately with help of a
teacher.

Method:
1) Put on safety goggles, gloves, and a lab coat to protect yourself from potential harm.
2) Weigh out a small piece of steel wool that weighs approximately 0.2 grams using a balance.
3) Place the steel wool in the first test tube.
4) Add 5 mL of 1M nitric acid to the test tube. Use a pipette to measure the volume accurately.
5) Observe the reaction and start the timer.
6) Record the time taken for the reaction to occur, which is when the steel wool has completely dissolved.
7) Dispose of the steel wool and nitric acid properly.
8) Rinse the test tube thoroughly with water and dry it before proceeding to the next trial.
9) Repeat steps 3-8 for the second and third test tubes, but add 3 mL and 6 mL of water to the acid, respectively.
10) Repeat steps 3-9 three times for each concentration of acid to ensure the results are consistent.
11) Compare the results and note any differences in the time taken for the reaction to occur.
12) Dispose of all waste after the experiment.
13) Wash your hands and any equipment that came into contact with the nitric acid with soap and water.
Variables Table:

Independent Variable Dependent Variable Controlled Variable

The quantity of water in the nitric The rate and speed at which the steel The quantity of acid in the solution
acid solution wool rusts in the acid solution The size and the weight of the steel
 wool balls.

Observation:
Based on the data in the results table, we can see that the addition of water to the 1M nitric acid has a significant effect on the rate of reaction with steel wool.
When no water was added, the reaction was very rapid, taking only about 15 minutes on average to dissolve and rust the steel wool. However, as more water was
added, the reaction time increased significantly. With 3 mL of water added, the reaction time increased to an average of 36 minutes, and with 6 mL of water added,
the reaction time increased further to an average of 43 minutes.

Results Table

Water Added(ml) Result one(s) Result two(s) Result three(s) Average time(s)

0 15.03/903s 15.05/905s 15.07/907s 15.05 min/905 sec

3 36.14/2174s 36.45/2205s 36.52/2212s 36.24 min/2184 sec

6 42.35/2555s 43.37/2617s 43.09/2589s 42.56 min/2576 sec

Results Table and Photos :

Discussion:
The outcomes of the test display that the time taken for the metal wool to dissolve completely will increase as the attention of nitric acid decreases. At 0 ml of water,
the common time taken for the reaction to occur is 15.05 mins. When 3 ml of water is introduced to the acid, the average time will increase to 36.24 mins. When 6
ml of water is delivered, the common time will increase to 42.56 mins. This trend may be discovered within the graph, wherein the time taken for the reaction to
occur will increase as the concentration of acid decreases.

One proposal to improve the experimental method is to apply a uniform size and form of metallic wool to improve the accuracy of the effects. Another manner to
improve the technique is to behavior extra trials with varying quantities of water to provide a extra comprehensive knowledge of the connection among water
attention and reaction time.

Validity:
My test became valid because the concentration of nitric acid, which changed into the unbiased variable, affected the dependent variable, which was the rate of
rusting of the metallic wool. To ensure that the experiment turned into legitimate, the managed variable turned into the quantity of metal wool.

Reliability:
The experiment defined seems to be a properly-designed and reliable. The system consists of clear commands and steps to ensure the accuracy and consistency of
the effects. Repeating the test three instances for every awareness of acid additionally allows booming the reliability of the effects via lowering the effect of any
outliers or errors. However, there are a few potential sources of errors that can affect the reliability of the test. Such as external factors together with temperature or
humidity may additionally affect the response time and introduce a few diploma of error.

Conclusion:
Based on the results table, it is quite clear to state that the hypothesis for this experiment was supported. As the concentration of nitric acid extended, the time
taken for the response to occur reduced, indicating a boom in the rate of the response. The trend is steady across all three trials for each concentration level,
suggesting the consequences are reliable. The technique used become suitable and followed popular safety protocols, ensuring the validity of the test. Overall, the
results provide evidence for the hypothesis and demonstrate the relationship between nitric acid concentration and the rate of the reaction with steel wool.
Bibliography:

1) https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/
Supplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Kinetics/06%3A_Modeling_Reaction_Kinetics/6.01%3A_Collision_Theory/
6.1.06%3A_The_Collision_Theory
2) https://opentextbc.ca/introductorychemistry/chapter/factors-that-affect-the-rate-of-reactions/
3) https://www.chem.fsu.edu/chemlab/chm1020c/Lecture%208/01.php#:~:text=Increasing%20the%20concentration%20of%20the,and%20more
%20opportunities%20for%20reaction.
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