CI 5 Flashcards
What is a reaction mechanism?
A series of steps that together make up the overall reaction
What is the rate determining step?
Slowest step in the reaction
What does a squared symbol mean in a rate equation?
Second order
2 molecules of the reactant
What is an intermediate?
A species formed in one step of a multi-stage reaction
And used up in a subsequent step
Are intermediates included in the rate determining step?
Yes
What is half life?
The time taken for the initial concentration of the reactants to decrease by half
What does a zero order reactant mean?
The concentration of this species doesn’t impact rate
Rate = K
What does a first order reactant mean?
Concentration of the species and rate are directly proportional
Rate = K[A]
What does a second order reactant mean?
the rate is proportional to the concentration of the species squared
Rate = K[A] ²
What does the rate-conc graph of a zero order reactant look like?
Horizontal line
What does the rate-conc graph of a first order reactant look like?
Upward sloping
Straight line through the origin
What does the rate-conc graph of a second order reactant look like?
Curve from 0 upwards
What does the conc-time graph of a zero order reactant look like?
Downward sloping
Straight line
As rate is constant
What does the conc-time graph of a first order reactant look like?
Downward sloping curve
What does the conc-time graph of a second order reactant look like?
Downward sloping curve with a kink
