Rates Flashcards
Dr Martin
What is the rate of a reaction?
the speed at which reactants are used up or products are formed.
rate =
change in concentration/time
What is the rate of reaction considered in terms of?
decrease in concentration of reactants per unit time/increase in concentration of product per unit time
What does d[A] / dt mean?
the rate of change of the concentration of A
What does [A] mean? What are the units?
concentration of A
usually mol dm⁻³ s⁻¹
What is the link between the rate at which the reactants are used up and the rate at which the products are formed?
they are equal
Draw [A] against time
see page 1
How would the rate of reaction be determined from the graph of [A] against time?
draw a tangent at any point and calculate gradient.
What experiments could be used to measure the rate of reaction? Draw the graphs.
volume of gas collected (or water-filled, upturned measuring cylinder for gases that don’t dissolve in water (CO₂ dissolves in water))
decrease of mass
see diagrams and graphs on page 2
How can colour changes be followed in a reaction?
by using a colorimeter
How is a colorimeter used?
light source –(high intensity)–> sample –(lower intensity)–> detector (some light is absorbed by sample)
see diagram on page 3
What conditions must be fulfilled for a collision to result in a reaction?
collision involves more than a certain minimum amount of energy – above activation energy
molecules must collide with the correct orientations
What is the activation energy?
the minimum amount of energy that is required before a collision to result in a reaction
Why is activation energy needed to result in a reaction?
to overcome repulsions (internuclear and between electrons), to start breaking bonds, to deform molecules, to allow rearrangement of atoms.
When does a successful collision occur?
when E ≥ Ea
What factors affect the rate of a chemical reaction?
concentration of reactants
surface area of solid reactants
temperature
catalysis
light – photocatalysis
What is the effect of concentration on the rate of reaction?
particles collide more often with more particles in a certain volume and so there is a greater chance of a successful collision occurring in a certain time.
What is the effect of surface area of solid reactants on the rate of reaction?
there are more particles exposed at the surface, so there is greater chance of another reactant particle colliding with a particle on the surface and a reaction occurring.
Write the rate equation.
Rate = k[A]^m[B]^n
m and n can only be 0, 1, 2. They are the orders of the reaction. The overall order of the reaction is m+n
How do we find the rate equation? What does it do?
it is experimentally determined
related the rate of reaction to the concentrations of substances in the reaction mixture.
what is k called? what is it?
the rate constant
a constant of proportionality relating the concentrations in the experimentally determined rate equation to the rate of a chemical reaction.
does the rate constant change with temperature?
yes (doubles with every 10 degrees it increases)