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UNIT-4

CHEMICAL KINETICS

CONCEPT

Thermodynamics helps us to predict the feasibility of chemical reaction by using

∆G as parameter but it cannot tell everything about the rate of reaction. Rate of
chemical reaction is studied in another branch of chemistry called Chemical
Kinetics.
Chemical kinetics- The branch of physical chemistry which deals with the
study of rate of reaction and their mechanism is called chemical kinetics.

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Rate of chemical reaction- The change in concentration of any reactant or
product per unit time is called rate of reaction.

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TYPES OF RATE OF REACTION-

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1. Average rate of reaction- The rate of reaction measured over the long
time interval is called average rate of reaction.
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Avg rate ∆x/∆t = -∆[R]/∆t = +∆[p]/∆t
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2. Instantaneous rate of reaction- The rate of reaction measured at a

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particular time is called instantaneous rate of reaction.

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Instantaneous rate dx/dt= -d[R]/dt=+d[P]/dt

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FACTORS AFFECTING RATE OF REACTION-

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1. Concentration of reactant
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2. Surface area
3. Temperature
4. Nature of reactant
5. Presence of catalyst
6. Radiation

RATE CONSTANT (k)- It is equal to the rate of reaction when molecular

concentration of reactant is at unity.

RATE LAW- The rate of reaction is directly proportional to the product of

concentration of reactant and each concentration is raised to some power
which may or may not be equal to stereochemistry experimentally.

For a reaction

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aA+bB → cC+dD

Rate law = k[A]p[B]q

Where powers P and Q are determined experimentally
MOLECULARITY – The total no. of reactants taking part in elementary
chemical reaction is called molecularity.

ORDER OF REACTION- The sum of powers to which the concentrations

terms are raised in a rate law expression is called order of reactions. For
above case order = P+Q: orders of rn is determined experimentally

HALF-LIFE PERIOD- The time during which the concentration of the reactant
is reduced to half of its initial concentration is called half-life period.

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ACTIVATION ENERGY- The minimum extra amount of energy absorbed by

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reactant molecules so that their energy becomes equal to the threshold
energy is called activation energy.

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Activation energy = Threshold energy – kinetic energy
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TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT- The ratio of rate constant at two
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temperatures having difference of 100C is called temperature coefficient.
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Temperature coefficient = Rate constant at T+100C/Rate constant at T0C

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Arhenius Equation-
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K= Ae-Ea/RT
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K-rate constant
A-Arrhenius energy
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Ea-Activation energy
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R- Rate constant
T-Temperature

Log K = Log A- Eq
2.303RT

Energy of activation can be evaluated as

1. Log [K2/K1] = Ea(1/T1-1/T2)/ 2.303RT
Log [K2/K1] = Ea(1/T1-1/T2)/ 19.15

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1 MARKS QUESTION
1. The gas phase decomposition of acetaldehyde

CH3CHO → CH4+CO

Follows the rate law.

What are the units of its rate constant.

Ans. Atm-1/2sec-1

2. State the order with respect to each reactant and overall reaction.

H2O + 3I- + 2H+ → 2H2O + I3-

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Rate = k[H2O2]1[I-]1

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Ans. Order of reaction= 1+1= 2
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3. Give one example of pseudo first order reaction.
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Ans. Hydrolysis of an ester
CH3COOC2H5 + H2O → CH3COOH + C2H5OH
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4. The conversion of molecules X to Y follows the second order of kinetics. If

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concentration of X is increased 3 times, how will it affect the rate of

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formation of Y.
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Ans. Rate = k [A] 2

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= k [3A] 2
= k [9a] 2
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The rate of formation will become nine times.

5. The rate law for a reaction is

Rate = K [A] [B] 3/2
Can the reaction be an elementary process? Explain.

Ans. No, an elementary process would have a rate law with orders equal to its
molecularities and therefore must be in integral form.

6. What do you understand by ‘rate of reaction’?

7. Name the factors on which the rate of a particular reaction depends.
8. Why rate of reaction does not remain constant throughout?
9. Define specific reaction rate or rate constant.

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10. What is half-life period of a reaction?

2 MARKS QUESTION

1. The rate of a particular reaction quadruples when the temperature changes

from 293K to 313K. Calculate activation energy.

Ans. K2/K1 = 4,

T1= 293K T2 = 313K

Log [K2/K1] = Ea[T2-T1]/19.15

Thus on calculating and substituting values we get…..

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Ea = 52.86 KJ mol-1

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2. If the decomposition of nitrogen oxide as

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2N2O5────> 4NO2 + O2
follows a first order kinetics. da
(i) Calculate the rate constant for a 0.05 M solution if the instantaneous
rate is 1.5 x 10-6 mol/l/s?
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Ans. Rate = K [N2O5]

K= Rate
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[N2O5]
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K=1.5 x 10-6
0.05
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K= 3.0 x 10-5
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ii) What concentration of N2O6 would give a rate of 2.45 x 10-5 mol L-1s-1
Rate = 2.45 x 10-5 mol L-1s-1
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[N2O5] = Rate = 2.45 x 10-5

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K 3.0 x 10-5
= 0.82 M
3) Write the difference between order and molecularity of reaction.
Ans. ORDER MOLECULARITY

It is the sum of the powers of concentration It is the number of reacting speci-

terms in the rate law expression. -es undergoing simultaneously
Collision in a reaction.
It is determined experimentally it is a theoretical concept

Order of reaction need not be a whole It is whole no. only

number
Order of reaction can be zero. It can’t be zero or fractional

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4) Define Threshold energy and activation energy. How they are related?
Ans. Threshold Energy: It is the minimum amount of energy which the reactant
molecules must possess for the effective collision in forming the products.

Activation Energy: It is the excess energy required by the reactants to undergo

chemical reaction.

Activation energy = Threshold energy – Average kinetic energy of molecules.

5(a). Draw a schematic graph showing how the rate of a first order reaction
changes in concentration of reactants.

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Variation of rate of first of first order reaction with concentration.

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(b). rate of reaction is given by the equation

Rate = k [A] 2[B]
What are the units of rate constant for this reaction?
Ans. Rate = k [A] 2[B]

K = mol L-1s-1
(mol L-1)2(mol-1)
K= mol-2L2s-1

6. List the factors affecting the rate of reaction.

7. Explain with suitable example, how the molecularity of a reaction is different
from the order of a reaction.

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8. Define the term ‘rate constant’ of ‘specific reaction rate’.

9. What are Pseudo unimolecular reactions? Explain with the help of a suitable
example.
10. What is half life period? Derive and expression for half-life period in case of a
first order reaction.

3 marks question

Q1. The rate constant for first order reaction is 60/s. How much time will it take to
reduce the concentration of the reaction to 1/10 of its initial value.
Ans:-
t = 2.303 log [R0]
K [R]

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t= 2.303 log [R0]
1 [R]

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10
t = 2.303 log10

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60
t = 2.303 = 3.38X 10-2s-1 da
60
2. The rate of most of reaction double when their temperature is raised from
to
298k to 308k. Calculate the activation energy of such a reaction.
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Ans:-
Log K2 = Ea 1- 1
K1 2.303 R T1 T2
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Ea = 2.303 X 8.314 X 298 X 308 X 0.3010

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1000
Ea = 52.89KJ/mol
.s
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3. A first order reaction takes 69.3 min for 50% completion. Set up on equation
for determining the time needed for 80% completion.
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Ans. K=0.693
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T1/2
= 0.693/69.3min
= 10-2min-1

T= 2.303log [R0]
K [R]
-2
T= 2.303/10 log5

T= 160.9min

4. Following reaction takes place in one step

2NO + O2→ 2NO2

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How will the rate of the reaction of the above reaction change if the volume of
reaction vessel is diminished to 1/3 of its original volume? Will there be any
change in the order of reaction with reduced volume?
Ans. 2NO+ O2→2NO2

dx/dt = k*[NO]2[O2]1

[Since it is one step]

If the volume of reaction vessel is diminished to 1/3, conc. Of both NO and O2

will become 3 time, the rate of reaction increased 27 times.
In the order of reaction with the reduced volume.

5. The decomposition of NH3 on platinum surface is a zero order reaction.

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What are the rate of production of N2 and H2.
If k= 2.5 x 10-4

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Ans. 2NH3 →N2 + 3H2

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-1 d [NH3] = d[NH2] + 1 d[H2]
2 dt dt 3 dt da
-d[NH3] = rate = k x [NH3]0
dt
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= 2.5 X 10-4 molL-1sec-1
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d [N2] = - 1 d [NH3]
dt 2 dt
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= 1/2 X2.5X10-4 molL-1sec-1

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d[H2] = - 3 d[NH3] = 3/2 X2.5X10-4

2 dt
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= 3.75X10-44molL-1sec-1
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Rate = - d[NH3] = k X[NH3]0

dt
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= 2.5 X 10-4 molL-1sec-1

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Rate of production of N2 = 2.5X10-4 molL-1sec-1

6. How is the rapid change in concentration of reactants/products monitored for

fast reactions.
7. What are photochemical reactions? Give two examples,
8. What is the effect of temperature on the rate of reaction? Explain giving
reasons.
9. Comment on free energy change of ‘photochemical reactions’.
10. State the role of activated complex in a reaction and state its relation with
activation energy.

QUESTIONS CARRYING 5 MARKS

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1. What do you understand by the rate of a reaction? How it is expressed?

How it is the rate of reaction determined?
2. What do you understand by order of a reaction? How does rate law differ
from law of mass action? Give two example of each of the reactions of (i)
zero order (ii) first order (iii) second order
3. Derive the equation for the rate constant for a first order reaction. What
would be the units of the first order rate constant if the concentration is
expressed in mole per litre and time in seconds.
4. Explain why the rate of reaction increases with increase in temperature.
5. Briefly explain the effect of temperature on the rate constant of a reaction.

HOTS

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1. The half-life period of two samples are 0.1 and 0.4 seconds. Their initial
Concentrations are 200 and 50 mol L -1 respectively. What is the order of

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reaction?
2. What is the ratio of t3/4 : t1/2 for a first order reaction ?

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3. Higher molecularity reactions (viz. molecularity, 4 and above) are very rare.
Why? da
4. Consider the reaction 2A + B _______> Products
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When concentration of B alone was doubled, half life time does not change.
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When conc. of A alone is doubled, the rate increases by two times. What is
the unit of K and what is the order of the reaction?
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5. For the reaction, the energy of activation is 75KJ / mol. When the energy of
activation of a catalyst is lowered to 20KJ / mol. What is the effect of catalyst on
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the rate of reaction at 200C.

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6. The gas phase decomposition of CH3OCH3 follows first order of kinetics

CH3OCH3 → CH4 (g) + H2 (g) + CO (g)
The reaction is carried out at a constant volume of the container at 5000 C and
has t1/2 =14.5min.
Initially only dimethyl ether is present at a pressure of 0.40 atm. What is the total
pressure of the system after 12 min? Assume ideal behavior.
Q 7. See the graph and answer the following question

1). What is the order of rn

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2) what is the value of a and b

? (a)

Log [R]

Slope= ?(b)

q 8. 1) what is the order of rn

2) what is the value of slope and intercept

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[R]
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Slope= ?

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q 9.1). what is the value of slope

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log A
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[R]

Slope= ?

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