CI4: Importance of Rate Equations

Question 1

What is the definition of rate?

Answer 1

Change in concentration / change in time

Rate is given in mol dm^-3 s^-1

Question 2

What are the factors which affect the rate of reaction?

Answer 2

Surface area
Catalyst
Concentration of reactants (or pressure of a gas)
Temperature

Question 3

What is the rate equation?

Answer 3

Rate = k [A]^m [B]^n

k = rate constant 
[] = Concentration
m = order with respect to A
n = order with respect to.

Question 4

What do the superscript numbers 0, 1, and 2 tell us?

Answer 4

Reaction is either
Zeroth order
First order
Second order with respect to the concetration

Question 5

Where do products fit into the rate equation?

Answer 5

They don’t, the rate of formation does not depend on the concentration of the products.

Question 6

How is the rate equation linked to the equilibrium equation?

Answer 6

Nothing. They aren’t linked

Question 7

How would doubling the concentration of a reactant affect a zeroth order reaction

Answer 7

No change to the rate

Question 8

How would doubling the concentration of a first order reaction affect the rate of reaction?

Answer 8

Rate of reaction would also double.

Question 9

How would doubling the concentration of a reactant which was second order affect the rate of the reaction?

Answer 9

The rate would quadruple

Question 10

How do you calculate the total order of reaction?

Answer 10

Add all the superscript numbers together.