Chemistry Individual Investigation (F336) - Starter Page 4

The kinetics of the reaction between propanone and iodine

Propanone reacts with iodine according to the following equation:
CH
3
COCH
3
+ I
2
CH
3
COCH
2
I + H
+
+ I

The reaction is catalysed by hydrogen ions.
You can measure the rate of reaction by using a colorimeter to monitor the production of
iodine over time.
Your first task is to carry out some preliminary experiments to work out what are suitable
amounts of solutions to mix together

Requirements
iodine solution 0.020 mol dm
3

propanone solution, 2.0 mol dm
3

hydrochloric acid, 2.0 mol dm
3


Getting started
Choose an appropriate filter for your colorimeter to measure the concentration of iodine.
Zero the colorimeter using water.
Use a burette to measure 2.0 cm
3
of propanone solution into a boiling tube.
Mix 1.0 cm
3
iodine solution, 2.0 cm
3
hydrochloric acid and 5.0 cm
3
water in a second
boiling tube.
Add the two solutions together and start a stop watch.
Use a dropping pipette to add some of the reaction mixture to a cuvette and place in the
colorimeter.
Take the absorbance reading every 30 seconds for six minutes.
Are the volumes and concentrations of solutions suitable or do you need to modify them?
When you are satisfied that you have appropriate solutions you can change the
concentration of the solutions carefully and accurately to achieve a sufficient number of
results that will allow you to draw a graphs that will let determine the order of reaction for one
of the reactants.