A scientist is investigating which type of medicine would dissolve faster, a solid pill or a scoop of powder. Which hypothesis should the scientist develop given prior knowledge about surface area? A. Solid pills have more surface area and will take longer to dissolve.

B. Solid pills have less surface area and will not dissolve.

C. Powders have less surface area and will dissolve faster.

D. Powders have more surface area and will dissolve faster.

The correct option is D (Powders have more surface area and will dissolve faster).

Explanation:

For a scientist to investigate whether a powered pill will dissolve faster than a solid pill is putting the rate of the reaction under study.

Rate has to do with what is achieved per unit time. One of the factors affecting rates of chemical reaction includes the SURFACE AREA.

Reagents in solution tend to react faster than reagents in solid form. This is because molecules are freer to move about and collide more effectively in solutions. For solids, the more the surface area exposed for reaction the faster the reaction. For example, a lump of Zinc will not react as fast as powdered zinc with dilute hydrochloric acid to produce hydrogen.

Therefore, with the above explanation and example concerning surface area in a chemical reaction, the hypothesis the scientist should develop is that powers which has more surface area will dissolve faster than the soils pills.