Chapter 12
Review - Kinetics: the study of the speed of a reaction
- Section 12.1: Rates of Reaction
- Kinetics is the study
of the speed or rate of a reaction. We care because the speed of
the reaction is involved in bombs, explosions, hazards, food spoiling,
drug response and industry.

- Average rate (average
between two times) = DM
/ Dt = (Mf - Mi)
/ (tf - ti)
- A rate's units are
always M/t such as M/s, M/min, M/yr, etc.
- As time passes, the
[reactant] decreases so the rate is a negative number with respect to
reactants (See figure 12.1)
- As time passes, the
[product] increases so the rate is a positive number with respect to
products
- As a rxn proceeds, the
rate slows down so the rate is fastest at the beginning of a reaction.
- The larger the
[reactant], the faster the reaction. Rates depend on [reactant] NOT
[product]
- For this simple generic
pretend reaction ( 1X g 1Y)
- Every time one X
reacts, one Y is formed. So the rate of X disappearance is equal to the
rate of Y appearance. So -D[X] / Dt = D[Y] / D t
- The rate constant k
= rate / [X] in this example. k is a constant so as the
rate increases so must [X]. Rearranging we get rate = k[X]
which takes the form of y = mx + b (straight line equation where y is
what is plotted on the Y axis, x is the x axis, m is the slope and b is
the y intercept which is zero in this example.)
- When we plot rate
versus [X] the slope is the rate constant k.
- Finding the units for k
is important. In this example rate = k[X]. The units
for a rate are M/s. The units for [X] is M. So the units
for k in this example must be 1/s or s-1.
- Note that there is a
difference between average rate and instantaneous rate, which is called
"the rate." The average rate is the average between two
different times. The instantaneous rate is the rate at that one
moment in time. Unless the word average is used, we are talking
about an instantaneous rate. (See
figure 12.2)
- Rate expressions / rate
equalities

- For this pretend
reaction: 1 C g 2D
Every time one C disappears, two D's appear. So rate = -D[C] / Dt = D[D] / 2D t. Note the two
in the denominator.
- For this pretend
reaction: 5F + 2G g 3H + 4K
write the rate expressions: rate = -D[F] / 5Dt = - D[G] / 2D t = D[H] / 3Dt = D[K] / 4D t
- What are the rate
expressions for this reaction? SiO2 + 3 C g SiC + 2
CO Answer: rate = -D[SiO2 ] / Dt = - D[C] / 3D t = D[SiC] / Dt = D[CO] / 2Dt
- For the reaction
above, calculate the rate with respect to carbon if the rate with
respect to carbon monoxide is 0.78 M/s. Answer: - D[C] / 3D t = D[CO] / 2Dt. Now plug in
and rearrange to get: D[C] / Dt = -3/2 (0.78M/s) = -1.17
M/s
- Example
12.1, problems 12.1-2
- Section 12.2: the Rate Law
- The rate law is a math
expression that relates the rate in M/s to the reactant concentrations
and it looks like this: rate = k[react]x[react]y[react]z
- Remember that k
is the rate constant. The exponents xyz are called the
"order" of the reaction. The overall order is the sum of
the exponents. The exponents can only be found from an experiment and are
usually 0, 1 or 2. The order is NOT the coefficients from
the balanced reaction!!! We can actually have fractions and
negative numbers for orders (1/2, -2, 3/4...) but in this class the
orders will be 0. 1, or 2.
- What is the rate law
and overall order for this reaction: 2 SO2 + O2
g
2 SO3 Answer: Without any more information
we can only say that the rate law is: rate = k[SO2]x[O2]y
and the overall order is x + y. Example
12.2 and problem 12.3
- Section 12.3 Rate Law Calculations
- So how do we find the
order? We use experimental data and compare trials where only one
concentration changes. We need only one variable to be changing and
then we can find the exponents x and y. In general, if [ ] doubles and
the rate doubles it is first order. If [ ] doubles and the rate
quadruples, it is second order. If [ ] doubles but the rate stays
the same, it is zero order.
- Example:
Determine the rate law, the rate constant, and the overall order for this
reaction: 2 NO + Cl2 g 2 NOCl. Given -
the following data
|
experiment
|
[NO]
|
[Cl2]
|
rate
(M/s)
|
|
1
|
0.10M
|
0.10M
|
0.117
|
|
2
|
0.10M
|
0.20M
|
0.468
|
|
3
|
0.10M
|
0.30M
|
1.054
|
|
4
|
0.20M
|
0.30M
|
2.107
|
|
5
|
0.30M
|
0.30M
|
3.161
|
- First what do we know
about the rate law? That it is rate = k[NO]x[Cl2]y
so we need to find x and y

- Pick two experiments
where only [Cl2] changes such as experiments 1 and 2.
- Divide the rate law
using experiment 1 numbers by experiment 2 numbers: [0.117 /
0.468] = [(k)(0.10)x(0.10)y ] / [(k)(0.10)x(0.20)y
]
- After canceling out we
are left with: [0.117 / 0.468] = [(0.10)y ]
/ [(0.20)y ]
- Simplify
to: 0.25 = (0.10 / 0.20)y
- This simplifies to
0.25 = 0.50y
- We can see that y must
be 2 because 0.50 squared is 0.25. But to solve mathematically we
take the log of both sides and get ylog0.5 = log0.25 thus y = log0.25 /
log0.5 = 2.
- So we found y and must
now find x
- Pick two experiments
where only [NO] changes such as experiments 4 and 5.
- Dividing rate law 4 by
rate law 5 we get [2.107 / 3.161] = [(k)(0.20)x(0.30)y
] / [(k)(0.30)x(0.30)y ]
- Simplify
to: 0.666 = (0.20 / 0.30)x
- Which is 0.666 = 0.666x
- We see that x must be
1.
- The rate law is rate
= k[NO][Cl2]2
- The overall order is
just the sum of the exponents: 1 + 2 = 3. Third order
overall.

- Now to find the value
of the rate constant k. We can pick any experiment and plug
the numbers into the rate law since we know it now.
- 0.117 M/s = k(0.10M)(0.10M)2
- Solving for k =
(0.117M/s) / 0.0010M3
- So k = 117 M-2s-1
- Here is one more
question: What is the rate if [NO] = 0.15M and [Cl2] =
0.40M?
- We answer this by
plugging into the rate law now that we know k.
- rate = (117 M-2s-1)(0.15M)(0.40M)2
- rate = 2.81 M/s
- Example
12.3-4 and problem 12.4-5.
- The units for a rate
are always M/time but the units for k vary with the order.
Being able to get the correct units for k is important.
- Section 12.4 Reactant concentration and time for
First order overall reactions.
- If the overall order is
one, the rate law is: rate = k[A] where A is the reactant in
a reaction such as A g B.
- We also know from
section 12.1 that rate = -D[A] / Dt
- Because the rate is
the same we can say k[A] = -D[A] / Dt
- Through the power of
calculus
, we can integrate k[A] = -D[A] / Dt with the
result of: ln ( [A]t / [A]o) = -kt
- We call this the first
order integrated rate law and it is very important. [A]t
is the concentration of A at time t. [A]o is the
original concentration of A at time zero.
- Math note: ln 5
/ ln 7 IS NOT = ln (5/7). ln (5/7) = ln 5 - ln 7
- We can rearrange the
first order integrated rate law so that it fits the equation for a
straight line (y = mx + b)
- ln [A]t
= -kt
+ ln [A]o) where y = ln[A]t, x = t, slope m
= -k, and b = ln[A]o
- So remember that a
graph of ln[A]t versus time produces a straight line IF the
reaction is first order. Remember that the slope of the line is
the negative rate constant. So the rate constant can be found
graphically from the slope of the line. Figure 12.6
- Example: If a
first order reaction has a starting reactant concentration of 2.4M, what
is the rate constant if after 7.5 minutes the reactant concentration is
1.8M?
- ln (1.8 / 2.4) = -k(7.5
min)
- k = (ln 0.75) / 7.5 min
= 0.038 min-1
- Example: If a
first order reaction has a rate constant of 4.73 x 102 s-1,
how long would it take for only 75% to react?
- First realize that the
starting amount is 100% and if 75% reacted into product, 25% remains as
reactant
- ln (25 / 100) = -4.73
x 102 s-1 (t)
- t = - (ln 0.25) / 4.73
x 102 s-1 = 2.93 x 10-3 s
- Note that these
equations also work for pressures in a gas phase reaction. Instead
of using molarities, use pressures.
- Example
12.5-6 and problem 12.7-8
- Section 12.5 The half-life for first order
reactions

- The half life (t1/2)
is defined as the time it takes for 1/2 of the reactant to react.
In other words, the time it takes for 50% to turn into product which
means that 50% remains as reactant. .
- How much of a sample
would remain after 3 half lives? Answer: Starting with 100%,
after one half life there would be 50%, after two half lives there would
be 25%, after three half lives there would be 12.5% reactant
remaining. Divide by two again to get 4 half lives, etc...
- Plug into the
integrated rate law: ln (50/100) = -kt1/2
- Solving for t1/2
= 0.693 / k
- Note that as the half
life gets longer, the rate constant gets smaller. So a teeny tiny
rate constant would have a long half life and vice versa. (See figure 12.7)
- Example: If the
half life for a first order reaction is 144 seconds, how long would it
take for a starting 3.50M reactant to reach a concentration of
2.75M?
- First we use the half
life to find k. 144 s = 0.693 / k
- k = 4.8125 x 10-3
s-1
- Now we use the first
order integrated rate law. ln [2.75M / 3.50M] = -(4.8125 x 10-3
s-1)t
- Solve for t = -0.24116
= -(4.8125 x 10-3 s-1)t
- t = 50.1 seconds
- Example
12.7 and problems 12.9-10
- Section 12.6 Second order overall reactions
- If the order is second
overall, the reaction could be A g B with a rate law of
rate = k[A]2 OR the reaction could be A + B g C with a rate law of
rate = k[A][B]. Both add up to an overall order of 2.
We will only work with the first option as the second option is too
complex for this class.
- What are the units of k?
Well rate M/s = k M2
so k = M / sM2 = s-1M-1
- Using this reaction A g B with a rate law of
rate = k[A]2 we also know that the rate = -D[A] / Dt
- So this must be
true: k[A]2 = -D[A] / Dt
- Integrating this
(calculus magic
) gets us the second order integrated rate
law: 1 / [A]t = kt + 1 / [A]o
- We can also get the half
life equation for second order: t1/2 = 1 / k[A]o
- Note that is we graph 1
/ [A]t on the y axis and time t on the x axis we get a
slope of k and an intercept of 1 / [A]o.
Thus a second order reaction gives a straight line for this
graph.
- Example: A second
order reaction has a half life of 699 seconds. If the initial
reactant concentration is 0.0335M, what will the reactant concentration
be after 855 seconds?
- First find k:
699 s = 1 / k(0.0335M)
- k = 0.0427 M-1s-1
- Now plug into the
second order integrated rate law: 1 / [A]t = (0.0427M-1s-1)(855
s) + 1 / (0.0335M)
- 1 / [A]t =
36.5127 M-1 + 29.851 M-1
- [A]t =
0.0151 M
- Example
12.8 and prob 12.11
- Section 12.7 Zero Order
- See Table 12.4
- Note that zero order
reactions do exist, but are rare. rate = k[A]o
= k.
- When the reactant
concentration changes the rate remains the same and equals the rate
constant
- Section 12.8 Reaction Mechanisms
- Many reactions actually
occur in several steps called elementary steps.

- All these steps
together are called the reaction mechanism and sum up to the overall
balanced reaction.
- Example:
reaction: A + 2B g 2C
- step one A + B g D
- step two D + B g 2C
- Notice the D cancels
out - it is an intermediate and does not appear in the overall
reaction.
- Usually one of the
steps is slower than the others - it is the slow step and the reaction
rate depends on it. It is like a bottle-neck step. The rate
law will be for that step. For step one above the rate law is rate
= k[A][B]. For step two above the rate law is rate = k[D][B].
Rate laws for elementary steps always have their exponents (order) as
1. If the real rate law is rate = k[A][B] then step one is
the slow step. Step two is faster.
- Molecularity = # reactants in an
elementary step Table 12.5
- A g B has one reactant,
it is unimolecular, the rate law is rate = k[A] which is first
order
- A + B g C has two reactants,
it is bimolecular, the rate law is rate = k[A][B] which is second
order
- A+ B + C g D has three
reactants, it is termolecular, the rate law is rate = k[A][B][C]
which is third order
- Example
12.9 problem 12.12
- Section 12.9 Determining Mechanisms
- How do you determine
which elementary step in a mechanism is the slow step (the rate
determining step)?

- Look at all the
elementary steps in the mechanism and write down their rate law
- Look at experimental
data and see which rate law matches the real data. That step is
the rate determining step
- Example:
reaction is CO2 + NO g CO + NO2
and the real rate law is rate = k[CO2]2
- the mechanism is given
as: step one CO2 + CO2 g CO3
+ CO
- and step
two:
CO3 + NO g CO2
+ NO2
- the rate law for step
one is rate1 = k[CO2][CO2] = k[CO2]2
- the rate law for step
two is rate2 = k [CO3][NO]
- Since rate1
matches the real rate law the slow step must be step one.
- If rate1
didn't match the real rate law by default step two must be the slow
step. Don't worry about more than this - there are some
complicated math steps for when step two is slow. Just remember if
step one is not the slow step it must be step two.
- Example
12.10, problem 12.13-14
- Section 12.10 How Activation Energy and
Temperature effect Reaction Rates
- Collision Theory

- Reactants must collide
in order to react
- Increase the number of
collisions and the reaction rate will increase
- Most collisions do NOT
result in a reaction
- Collision success is
higher when reactants collide at an 180 degree angle (head on)
- Collision energy must
be at least = to activation energy (Ea), the minimum energy
necessary for reaction to occur (break reactant bonds and form new
product bonds) Remember a chemical reaction is all about the
electrons being shared and transferred to make stable bonds.
- Reactants
must be oriented correctly for any chance of reaction to occur
- So if we increase the
concentration, there are more reactants to collide thus increasing number
of collisions so the reaction rate will increase
- So if we raise the
temperature, the reactants are moving faster with more energy, so the chances
of meeting the Ea is greater thus increasing the reaction
rate. Skip all the math stuff.

- The above is an Ea
diagram for an exothermic reaction. Ea is the
activation energy and is the difference between the top of the reaction
path and the reactant energy. DE is the change in
energy for the reaction, it is the difference between the reactant and
product energy, it is a negative number for exothermic reactions because
the product energy is lower than the reactant energy. TS is the
transition state which is where bonds from the reactants are partially
broken while bonds for the products are partially formed. The TS is
the highest point in the reaction path thus having the highest
energy.

- The above is an Ea
diagram for an endothermic reaction. Ea is the
activation energy and is the difference between the top of the reaction
path and the reactant energy. DE is the change in
energy for the reaction, it is the difference between the reactant and
product energy, it is a positive number for endothermic reactions because
the product energy is higher than the reactant energy. TS is the
transition state which is where bonds from the reactants are partially
broken while bonds for the products are partially formed. The TS is
the highest point in the reaction path.
- As the activation
energy lowers, the reaction rate increases because the energy barrier is
smaller and easier to get over. Problem
12.15
- Section 12.11 The Arrhenius Equation
- k = Ae-Ea/RT
- A = collision frequency
factor (constant, don't worry about it), Ea = activation energy is J/mol,
R = 8.314 J/molK, and T is temperature in Kelvin
- As Ea increases, k
and the rate decrease
- As T increases, k
and the rate increase
- This can be arranged to
fit a straight line graph: lnk = -(Ea/R)(1/T) + lnA
- The rate constant k
changes with temperature. So for any reaction we have different k
values at different temperatures. So by running a reaction at
different temperatures, you can solve for the different rate
constants. Then take 1/T for all temperatures in Kelvin and plot on
the x axis. Take ln of all rate constants and plot on the y
axis. (Plot lnk versus 1/T) The slope of the resulting
line is -Ea / R. Since we know R you can solve for Ea, the
activation energy. Example
12.11
- If you know two
temperatures and 2 k values you can use this equation to find
Ea: ln (k1 / k2) = Ea / R
(1/T2 - 1/T1)
- Example: The rate
constant for a reaction at 20.0oC is 0.0785 s-1.
At 80.0oC it is 1.03 s-1. Find the activation
energy.
- change
Celsius to Kelvin then plug in all data
- ln
(0.0785 / 1.03) = Ea / 8.314 J/molK (1/353K - 1/293K)
- Solve
carefully - it is easy to make math errors here
- Ea
= 3.69 x 104 J/mol
- Problem
12.16
- Section 12.12 Catalysis
- A catalyst is a
substance that increases the rate of reaction by lowering the reaction
pathway between reactants and products without itself being
consumed. So it is reusable!

- In the diagram above we
see the normal reaction path with a higher Ea and the new path when a
catalyst is used. Because the new path has a lower activation energy, it
is the preferred path and the rxn rate increases.
- Section 12.13
- Heterogeneous catalyst
= catalyst in a different state from the reactants. Usually a solid
catalyst with liquid, gas, or aqueous (dissolved in water)
reactants. It is easy to remove the catalyst after the reaction by
filtration so it can be used again.
- Homogeneous catalyst =
catalyst in the same state as the reactants. Usually an aqueous
catalyst with liquid or aqueous reactants. It is harder to remove
the catalyst after the reaction.
- Enzymes are our bodies
catalysts and they are huge proteins that work for a specific reaction.
Good Job - This is a long chapter. Study hard!