Which of the following actions will NOT generally increase the rate of a chemical reaction?

Decreasing the surface area of solids will not generally increase the rate of a chemical reaction. In fact, when the surface area of a solid reactant is reduced, there are fewer exposed particles for reactant molecules to collide with, which can slow down the rate of reaction.

In contrast, increasing the pressure of gases raises the concentration of reactant molecules, leading to a higher frequency of collisions and thus a faster reaction rate. Raising the temperature increases the energy of the molecules, causing them to collide more frequently and with greater energy, which accelerates the reaction. The addition of a catalyst provides an alternative pathway for the reaction with a lower activation energy, thereby increasing the reaction rate without being consumed in the process.

Understanding these principles helps clarify why decreasing the surface area of solids counteracts the factors that generally increase reaction rates.