Surface Area - GCSE Chemistry Definition

Surface area is the total area that the outside surface of an object covers. In GCSE chemistry, surface area is important because it affects how fast reactions happen. When you increase the surface area of a solid reactant, it usually means you break it into smaller pieces. This creates more space for particles to collide and react with each other. So, the larger the surface area, the faster a reaction can occur. For example, powdered chemicals react quicker than large chunks because there are more surfaces for reactions to take place.