As the reaction proceeds, the rate of reaction:

Explanation

To solve the question regarding how the rate of reaction changes as the reaction proceeds, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Concept of Rate of Reaction
The rate of reaction refers to how quickly or slowly a chemical reaction occurs. It is influenced by the concentration of reactants and products.

**Hint:** Remember that the rate of reaction is a measure of how fast reactants are converted to products.

### Step 2: Analyze the Initial Conditions
At the beginning of a reaction, the concentration of reactants is at its highest. This high concentration typically leads to a faster rate of reaction because there are more reactant molecules available to collide and react.

**Hint:** Consider how the concentration of reactants affects the frequency of collisions between molecules.

### Step 3: Observe Changes Over Time
As the reaction proceeds, the reactants are consumed to form products. Consequently, the concentration of the reactants decreases over time.

**Hint:** Think about what happens to the concentration of reactants as they are converted into products.

### Step 4: Relate Concentration to Rate of Reaction
The rate of reaction is directly related to the concentration of the reactants. As the concentration of reactants decreases, the rate of reaction also decreases. This is because there are fewer reactant molecules available to collide and react.

**Hint:** Recall that a decrease in concentration typically leads to a decrease in reaction rate.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Based on the analysis, we conclude that as the reaction proceeds, the rate of reaction decreases due to the diminishing concentration of reactants.

**Final Statement:** Therefore, as the reaction proceeds, the rate of reaction decreases.

### Summary of Steps:
1. Understand the rate of reaction.
2. Analyze initial conditions of high reactant concentration.
3. Observe the decrease in reactant concentration over time.
4. Relate decreasing concentration to decreasing rate of reaction.
5. Conclude that the rate of reaction decreases as the reaction proceeds.