Reaction rate is the rate at which reactants in chemical reagents change into products. A slow reaction rate occurs when the reaction takes a long time to occur; therefore, a reaction that occurs rapidly has a high reaction rate. A rate refers to how slowly or quickly the product is produced. It is possible to control the rate of chemical reactions and speed it up or slow it down by altering three main factors which are temperature, concentration and surface area. When the temperature of the reactants increases, the molecules vibrate at a more intense speed, colliding with each other with greater frequency and with greater energy, resulting in a greater reaction speed. Consequently, as the temperature decreases, the molecules will move more slowly, colliding less frequently and with a decrease in energy, resulting in a decrease in the reaction rate. Concentration indicates the amount of solute dissolved in a solution and is also a factor that influences the speed of the reaction. When the concentration is higher this means that there is a greater quantity of reactant atoms and molecules, resulting in a greater probability of collisions between the molecules. A higher collision rate means a higher reaction rate. Consequently at lower concentrations there is less chance of molecules colliding resulting in a slower reaction rate. The measurement of how exposed an area of ​​a solid is is called the surface area. The faster the reaction, the more finely the solid will be divided. For example, a powdered solid will usually have a faster reaction rate than a solid piece containing the same mass because it has less surface area than the powdered solid. To control the burning rate of hydrocarbons... half the newspapers... have the ability to fatally damage the economy. Victorian bushfires consume a total of $4,369,000,000 of government money.3 With the cost of property damage, livestock loss, citizen deaths, forest destruction, recovery, carbon releases and infrastructure damage. To control the rate of chemical reactions, the continued existence of our species is imperative. Controlled chemical reactions allow us to move forward in society, constantly. Let's find new ways to provide light and heat our homes, cook our food and engage in crafts that benefit our society. There are, however, just as there are advantages, disadvantages in the efficiency of controlling the rate of reactions, which in some cases can be fatal to our scientific development and progress. The growth of mankind requires the ability to control the speed of chemical reactions.