Based on your knowledge of factors affecting the rate of reaction, why is there a danger of explosions in places such as flour mills and coal mines where there are large quantities of powdered, combustible materials?

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Explanation:

Rate of reaction refers to how quickly or slowly a reaction proceeds. The rate of reaction depends on certain factors.

Two among the factors that affect the rate of reaction are the concentration of reactants and the surface area of reactants.

The more the concentration of reactants, the faster the rate of reactants because there is a high possibility of collision between reactants. Also, the higher the surface area of reactants, the greater the rate of reaction.

In flour mills and coal mines where there is a large amount (concentration) of combustible materials and the particles are powdered (high surface area), there is a greater risk of explosion due to a high rate of reaction owing to a combination of the two factors discussed above.