What occurs when more reactant is added to a reaction in progress?

When more reactant is added to a reaction that is already in progress, the number of reactant particles available for the reaction increases. This abundance of reactant particles allows for more frequent collisions between those particles, which enhances the likelihood of them reacting to form products. Consequently, the reaction rate typically increases since there are more opportunities for the reactants to interact with each other.

This scenario aligns with the principles of chemical kinetics, where an increase in the concentration of reactants generally leads to a higher rate of reaction, provided that other conditions (such as temperature and pressure) remain constant. Therefore, adding more reactant facilitates the continuation and possibly accelerates the reaction, leading to the formation of more product over time.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately reflect the behavior of reactions under these conditions. For instance, fewer product particles forming would not occur since the addition of reactants typically promotes product formation, and the reaction would not stop immediately unless the system reached equilibrium or another limiting factor was altered. The statement about the limiting reactant being consumed faster could lead to misinterpretation, as adding reactants can sometimes change the limiting factor, but it does not directly define the situation described.