Unit 1: Section 5 - kinetics, equilibria and redox reactions MDY CDS * Flashcards
reaction rates more on reaction rates reversible reactions The equilibrium constant redox reactions
what is the rate of reaction?
the change in concentration of the reagent per unit time
what is the formula for rate of reaction?
rate of reaction = amount of reactant used or product formed/ time
what conditions must be met for particles to react?
they must collide in the correct orientation
they must collide with the minimum amount of kinetic energy
what is activation energy?
the minimum amount of kinetic energy that particles need to react
why do particles need activation energy?
this is the amount of energy needed to break their bonds
what happens in an enthalpy profile diagram?
the bonds within each particle are stretched
if they have the activation energy the bonds will break
what is enthalpy?
heat change at constant pressure
what is a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution?
a graph for the number of molecules with a certain kinetic energy
what is the area under the curve in a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution?
the area under the curve is the total number of molecules
what is the peak of the curve in a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution?
it represents the most likely energy of any single molecule.
most molecules are moving at a moderate speed - their energies are somewhere in the middle
where is the mean energy of a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution?
the mean energy of all the molecules is a bit to the right of the peak. because the curve is asymmetrical
which molecules can react on the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution curve?
some molecules have more than the activation energy (a point to the far right of the curve) these are the only molecules that can react
where does the curve start in the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution?
the curve starts at (0, 0) because no particles have zero energy
what happens to particles when you increase the temperature of a reaction?
the particles will on average have more kinetic energy and will move faster.
so they’ll collide more often which increases the chance of successful collisions
small increase leads to large increase in reaction rate
what happens on the Maxwell-Boltzmann curve when the temperature of a reaction is increased?
a greater proportion of molecules will have at least the activation energy and be able to react. the curve is pushed to the right and the most likely energy is higher. the area under the graph stays the same
what happens if you increase the concentration of reactants in a solution?
the particles will be closer together on average.
if they’re closer, they’ll collide more often. so collisions are more frequent so there’s a higher chance of successful reactions
what happens if you increase the pressure of reactants in a solution?
the gas particles will be closer together on average.
if they’re closer, they’ll collide more often. so collisions are more frequent so there’s a higher chance of successful reactions
what is a catalyst?
a catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a reaction by providing an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy. the catalyst is chemically unchanged at the end of the reaction
why are catalysts so good?
a small bit of catalyst catalyses a large amount of stuff
save lots of money in industrial processes
large surface area
thin
cheap mesh coated in catalyst
what is a disadvantage of catalysts?
they are suited for specific reactions so some only work on a single reaction
how do catalysts increase rate of reaction?
they lower the activation energy so there’s more particles with enough energy to react when they collide. so increases chance of successful collisions
they can also change the particles’ orientation and make the particles collide more frequently
what are some different ways to measure rate of reaction?
timing how long a precipitate takes to form
measuring a decrease in mass
measuring the volume of gas given off
what is involved in timing how long a precipitate takes to form?
watch a mark through the solution and time how long it takes to be obscured
if the same observer uses the same mark rates of reaction for different reactions can be recorded because the same amount of precipitate will obscure the mark each time
when can rate of reaction be measured by the time taken for a precipitate to form?
when the product is a precipitate which clouds a solution
what is a disadvantage of measuring rate of reaction by measuring the time taken for a precipitate to form?
this method is subjective - different people might not agree on the exact moment the mark disappears
what is involved in measuring a decrease in mass?
you can measure the rate of formation of product using a mass balance
as gas is given off, the mass of the reaction mixture decreases
when can rate of reaction be measured by measuring a decrease in mass?
when 1 or more of the products is a gas
what are the advantages and disadvantages of measuring rate of reaction by measuring a decrease in mass?
this method is accurate and easy to do but it does release gas into the atmosphere so its usually done in a fume cupboard
what is involved in measuring the volume of gas given off?
a gas syringe is used to measure the volume of gas being produced
when can rate of reaction be measured by measuring the volume of gas given off?
when 1 or more of the products is a gas
what are the advantages of measuring rate of reaction by measuring the volume of gas given off?
they give volumes to the nearest 0.1cm3 so this method is accurate