REACTIONS

BY : TS. KISHAN GUNESEGERAN

INTI INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY NILAI
HOW THE REACTIONS HAPPEN?

• All Chemical reactions

i. Have two (2) parts
ii. Reactants – the substances you start with
iii. Products – the substances you end up with
iv. The reactants turn into the products

Reactants Products
ZERO –ORDER REACTIONS

• Zero-order reactions are independent of the reaction concentrations. When adding the concentration
exponent(s) in the rate equation, the sum is zero.
• Zero-order reaction properties/characteristics:
i. rate law = k[A]0 = k = constant
ii. no effect on initial rate of reaction Concentration = C
Slope = K
iii. Concentration vs. time plot is linear with a negative slope
iv. units of k are the same as the units of the rate of a reaction
v. (moles)(time-1) ---> Ms-1
Time

Figure above : Concentration Vs Time = Zero Order Reaction

RATE EXPRESSION !

• Zero-order reactions mean the exponent on the reactant concentration is 0:

• Notice how the whole rate expression simplifies to Rate = k.

• This type of reaction doesn't depend on reactant concentration!
• A zero-order reaction is a reaction that proceeds at a rate that is independent of reactant concentration.
• In other words, increasing or decreasing the concentration of reactants will not speed up or slow down
the reaction, respectively.
• This means that the rate of the reaction is equal to the rate constant, k, of that reaction.
• This property differs from both first-order reactions and second-order reactions.
FIRST ORDER REACTIONS

• A first order reaction is one whose rate depends on the concentration of a single reactant raised to the
first power:
A1 Rate = k[A]
Brackets = Concentration
• Calculus (integration) gives us the integrated form of the rate law which allows us to predict the
concentration of a reactant after a given amount of time has elapsed:
ln[A]t = -kt + ln[A]0
• To predict the concentration of a reactant at a given time during a first order reaction:
ln[A]t = -kt + ln[A]0
• where ;
i. ln = natural logarithm (not log)
ii. t = time (units depend on k)
iii. [A]t = conc. or amount of A at time t
iv. [A]0 = initial concentration or am’t of A
v. k = rate constant
• This data was collected for the reaction at 198.9°C.
• Remember that the partial pressure of the gas will be directly proportional to the number of moles of
that gas at constant T and V.
• When ln P is plotted as a function of time, a straight line is obtained.
• Therefore, the process is first-order.

a) Variation in the partial pressure of methyl isonitrile, CH 3NC, with time at 198.9°C during the reaction
CH3NC CH3CN
(b) A plot of the natural logarithm of the CH3NC pressure as a function of time
• To find the rate constant for the reaction, calculate/determine the slope:
DISTINGUISHING ZERO, FIRST, & SECOND
ORDER REACTIONS GRAPHICALLY

Example:
• The concentration of A in the reaction: A  2 B was monitored as a function of time.
• Graphically determine if the reaction is zero, first, or second order with respect to A.
• Determine the rate constant for the reaction. Time (min) [A] M
• The data obtained: 0. 1.50
10. 1.25
20. 1.00
30. 0.75
40 0.50
DRAW THE GRAPH!

Time (min)