What does the initial rate of the reaction show in terms of the entire reaction. I am doing an experiment with hydrochloric acid and calcium carbonate and I was wondering why the initial rate of the reaction would be more relevant (versus the rate of reaction as a whole). The data collected in the experiment was the mass of CO2 collected over time. What conclusions can be drawn when the concentration of hydrochloric acid increases (0.5 M intervals) (with regards to the rate of reaction)?