Page 2: Advanced Kinetics Concepts
This page delves into more advanced concepts in chemical kinetics.
Half-Life and First-Order Reactions
Definition: Half-life (t½) is the time taken for the concentration of a reactant to halve.
First-order reactions have a constant half-life, which can be used to identify them.
Calculating Rate Constants from Concentration-Time Data
Two methods are presented:
- Using the half-life formula: k = ln(2) / t½
- Using the gradient of a rate-concentration graph
Arrhenius Equation
Vocabulary: The Arrhenius equation relates the rate constant to temperature and activation energy.
The page provides the standard and logarithmic forms of the Arrhenius equation:
- Standard form: k = Ae^(-Ea/RT)
- Logarithmic form: ln k = -Ea/RT + ln A
Methods for finding Ea (activation energy) and A (pre-exponential factor) are outlined.
Rate Mechanisms
Definition: The rate-determining step is the slowest step in a reaction mechanism.
An important rule is presented: The rate equation includes all reactants in and before the rate-determining step.
Highlight: The number of moles of a reactant in the rate-determining step equals its order in the rate equation.
The page concludes with graphical representations of zero-order, first-order, and second-order reactions, emphasizing the importance of understanding these graphs for kinetic analysis.