Scribd
Upload
25 views3 pages

Tutorial-Chemical Kinetics Answered

The document discusses kinetics concepts including: 1) How to determine the zero, first, and second order rate laws using integrated rate equations and how to calculate the half-life for each order of reaction. 2) Procedures for determining the order of a reaction graphically by plotting concentration vs time, ln(concentration) vs time, and 1/concentration vs time and identifying the linear graph. 3) An example reaction that was found to be second order with respect to the monomer based on the linear 1/concentration vs time graph. 4) Other kinetics concepts like the role of a catalyst and definitions of average rate, molecularity, and activation energy are described.

Uploaded by

avnishnand
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
25 views3 pages

Tutorial-Chemical Kinetics Answered

The document discusses kinetics concepts including: 1) How to determine the zero, first, and second order rate laws using integrated rate equations and how to calculate the half-life for each order of reaction. 2) Procedures for determining the order of a reaction graphically by plotting concentration vs time, ln(concentration) vs time, and 1/concentration vs time and identifying the linear graph. 3) An example reaction that was found to be second order with respect to the monomer based on the linear 1/concentration vs time graph. 4) Other kinetics concepts like the role of a catalyst and definitions of average rate, molecularity, and activation energy are described.

Uploaded by

avnishnand
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Tutorial Questions Kinetics Answered

1. Using the integrated rate equations determine the zero, first and second order rate law.

Zero order of reaction


[A]t - [A]0 = -kt

First order of reaction


Ln[A ]t – ln [A]0 =-kt

Second order of reaction


1/[A]t - 1/[A]0 = kt

2. Explain what half-life is. Again using the integrated equations determine the t1/2 of a
zero, first and second order reactions.
The half-life of a reaction is the time required for the concentration of a reactant to
decrease to half of its initial value.

Half life for a zero order of reaction


t(1/2) = [A]0 / 2k

Half-life for a first order reaction


t(1/2) = ln2/k

Half-life for a second order reaction.


t (1/2) = 1/ k[A]0

3. One method of determining the order with respect to the reactant is by graphical
method. Outline the procedure on how the order can be determined using this method.
In this method the concentration of the reactant is determined at different time intervals
and is recorded against time. These concentrations are then converted to the natural log
and also the reciprocal. According to the different integrated rate equations, three
graphs, [A] vs time, ln[A] vs time and 1/[A] vs time are plotted and the line of best fit
is drawn to the plotted points. Of the three graphs, one should be a linear one. If [A] vs
time is the most linear one compared to the other graphs, then its zero order with respect
to that reactant. If ln[A] is the most linear one then its first order and finally if 1/[A] is
the most linear one then the order with respect to that reactant is 2. The slope of the
most linear graph gives the rate constant (k).

4. Butadiene monomer (M) dimerizes to give cyclo-octatriene (D);

CH205: Chemistry for Civil Engineers 1|Page


H H2 H2
C H C C
H
C HC CH
2 x
C H HC CH
H
C H2C C
H2
H
M (monomer) D (dimer)

When the concentration of [M] was monitored against time and the graphs plotted, it
was found that graphs of [M] vs time and of ln[M] vs time were curved, whereas the
graph of 1/[M] vs time was linear with slope = 0.025 M-1 s-1.

i) What is the order of this reaction with respect to M?

Since the graph of 1/[M] vs time is a straight line, its second order reaction.

ii) What would be the half-life of the reaction if the initial concentration [M]0 =
0.35M?
Use the half life of the second order reaction

t (1/2) = 1/ k[A]0

= 1/ 0.025 x 0.35
=114.28 s

5. The rate law for the reaction


NO(g) + Cl2(g)  2NOCl(g)
is given by rate = k[NO] [Cl2]

Determine the order with respect to; NO, Cl2 and the overall order of the reaction.

Order of NO = 1st order


Order of Cl2 = 1st order
Overall order = second order

6. For a zero order reaction, the rate constant k was = 3.50 x 10-3 s-1.If the initial
concentration of the reactant was 1.20 x 10-3 mol dm-3, calculate the half life (t1/2) of
the reaction. (Hint: calculate how long will it take for the original concentration to
become half its value.)

t(1/2) = [A]0 / 2k
= [1.20x10-3] / 2( 3.50 x 10-3)
=[1.2x10-3] / 7x10-3
= 0.17 M/s

CH205: Chemistry for Civil Engineers 2|Page


7. What is the role of a catalyst in a chemical reaction?
A catalyst speeds up a chemical reaction by providing an alternate reaction pathway
with a lower activation energy. Since the activation energy is lower, more product will
be formed in the same amount of time

8. Explain the meaning of each of the following:


i. average rate
Is the rate which determine over a large time interval.

ii. the molecularity of a reaction


It is the number of moles of reactants and products in a chemical reaction.
iii. the activation energy.
The least amount of energy needed for a chemical reaction to occur.

9. The activation energy (Ea) of a chemical reaction indicates whether a reaction will be
fast or slow. Outline how the Ea can be determined experimentally.

The activation energy is determined by plotting the graph of ln k vs 1/T. Here k is the rate
constant and T is the temperature. In question 3 it was outlined as to how the order of the
reaction can be obtained from the graphical method. For a given reaction, the concentration
data is plotted into the three graphs. The graph with the straight line is then selected. The slope
of the graph is gives the value of k. If the same reaction is done at different temperatures and
the graph is plotted, the slopes will tend to become more steeper with increasing temperature.
So if all the k values from the graphs plotted at different temperatures are extracted and plotted
using the Arrhenius equation will yield a straight line and slope equal to Ea/R. Slope multiply
by the R value will give Ea.

CH205: Chemistry for Civil Engineers 3|Page

You might also like