1. Chemical Kinetics
Chapter 14

2. Kinetics Studies the rate at which a chemical process occurs.
Besides information about the speed at which reactions occur, kinetics also sheds light on the reaction mechanism (exactly how the reaction occurs).
Four main factors affect reaction rates:
Physical states of reactants
Concentrations of reactants
Temperature
Catalysts

3. Factors That Affect Reaction Rates
Physical State of the Reactants
In order to react, molecules must come in contact with each other.
The more homogeneous the mixture of reactants, the faster the molecules can react.

4. Factors That Affect Reaction Rates
Concentration of Reactants
As the concentration of reactants increases, so does the likelihood that reactant molecules will collide.

5. Factors That Affect Reaction Rates
Temperature
At higher temperatures, reactant molecules have more kinetic energy, move faster, and collide more often and with greater energy.

6. Factors That Affect Reaction Rates
Presence of a Catalyst
Catalysts speed up reactions by changing the mechanism of the reaction.
Catalysts are not consumed during the course of the reaction.

7. Chemical Kinetics Thermodynamics – does a reaction take place?
Kinetics – how fast does a reaction proceed?
Reaction rate is the change in the concentration of a reactant or a product with time (M/s).
A B
rate = -
D[A] Dt
D[A] = change in concentration of A over
time period Dt
rate =
D[B] Dt
D[B] = change in concentration of B over
time period Dt
Because [A] decreases with time, D[A] is negative.
14.1

8. A B
rate = -
D[A] Dt
rate =
D[B] Dt
14.1

9. Br2 (aq) + HCOOH (aq) 2Br- (aq) + 2H+ (aq) + CO2 (g)
time
393 nm
light
Detector
393 nm
Br2 (aq)
D[Br2] a DAbsorption
14.1

10. Br2 (aq) + HCOOH (aq) 2Br- (aq) + 2H+ (aq) + CO2 (g)
slope of
tangent
slope of
tangent
slope of
tangent
average rate = -
D[Br2] Dt
= -
[Br2]final – [Br2]initial
tfinal - tinitial
instantaneous rate = rate for specific instance in time
14.1

11. rate a [Br2] rate = k [Br2] k = rate [Br2] = rate constant
= 3.50 x 10-3 s-1
14.1

12. 2H2O2 (aq) 2H2O (l) + O2 (g) PV = nRT n P = RT = [O2]RT V 1 [O2] = P
measure DP over time
2H2O2 (aq) H2O (l) + O2 (g)
PV = nRT
P = RT = [O2]RT n V
[O2] = P RT 1
rate =
D[O2] Dt RT 1 DP Dt =
14.1

13. 2H2O2 (aq) H2O (l) + O2 (g)
14.1

14. Reaction Rates and Stoichiometry
2A B
Two moles of A disappear for each mole of B that is formed.
rate = -
D[A] Dt 1 2
rate =
D[B] Dt
aA + bB cC + dD
rate = -
D[A] Dt 1 a
= -
D[B] Dt 1 b =
D[C] Dt 1 c =
D[D] Dt 1 d
14.1

15. Write the rate expression for the following reaction:
CH4 (g) + 2O2 (g) CO2 (g) + 2H2O (g)
rate = -
D[CH4] Dt
= -
D[O2] Dt 1 2 =
D[CO2] Dt =
D[H2O] Dt 1 2
14.1

16. The Rate Law
The rate law expresses the relationship of the rate of a reaction to the rate constant and the concentrations of the reactants raised to some powers.
aA + bB cC + dD
Rate = k [A]x[B]y
reaction is xth order in A
reaction is yth order in B
reaction is (x +y)th order overall
14.2

17. Double [F2] with [ClO2] constant
F2 (g) + 2ClO2 (g) FClO2 (g)
rate = k [F2]x[ClO2]y
Double [F2] with [ClO2] constant
Rate doubles
x = 1
rate = k [F2][ClO2]
Quadruple [ClO2] with [F2] constant
Rate quadruples
y = 1
14.2

18. Rate Laws Rate laws are always determined experimentally.
Reaction order is always defined in terms of reactant (not product) concentrations.
The order of a reactant is not related to the stoichiometric coefficient of the reactant in the balanced chemical equation.
F2 (g) + 2ClO2 (g) FClO2 (g) 1
rate = k [F2][ClO2]
14.2

19. S2O82- (aq) + 3I- (aq) 2SO42- (aq) + I3- (aq)
Determine the rate law and calculate the rate constant for the following reaction from the following data:
S2O82- (aq) + 3I- (aq) SO42- (aq) + I3- (aq)
Experiment
[S2O82-]
[I-]
Initial Rate (M/s) 1
0.08
0.034
2.2 x 10-4 2
0.017
1.1 x 10-4 3
0.16
rate = k [S2O82-]x[I-]y
y = 1
x = 1
rate = k [S2O82-][I-]
Double [I-], rate doubles (experiment 1 & 2)
Double [S2O82-], rate doubles (experiment 2 & 3)
k =
rate
[S2O82-][I-] =
2.2 x 10-4 M/s
(0.08 M)(0.034 M)
= 0.08/M•s
14.2

20. First-Order Reactions
rate = -
D[A] Dt
A product
rate = k [A]
D[A] Dt
= k [A] -
rate
[A]
M/s M =
k =
= 1/s or s-1
[A] is the concentration of A at any time t
[A]0 is the concentration of A at time t=0
[A] = [A]0exp(-kt)
ln[A] = ln[A]0 - kt
14.3

21. Decomposition of N2O5
(400 s, -0.34) y = m x + b
(2430 s, -1.50)
14.3

22. The reaction 2A B is first order in A with a rate constant of 2
The reaction 2A B is first order in A with a rate constant of 2.8 x 10-2 s-1 at 800C. How long will it take for A to decrease from 0.88 M to 0.14 M ?
[A]0 = 0.88 M
ln[A] = ln[A]0 - kt
[A] = 0.14 M
kt = ln[A]0 – ln[A] ln
[A]0
[A] k = ln
0.88 M
0.14 M
2.8 x 10-2 s-1 =
ln[A]0 – ln[A] k
t =
= 66 s
14.3