DETERMINATION OF INITIAL RATE AND ACTIVATION ENERGY FOR

IODINE CLOCK

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this experiment is to study the effect of temperature in activation

energy and the initial rate of iodine clock.
SUMMARY

The purpose of the experiment was to determine the effect of temperature in

activation energy and the initial rate of iodine clock. This experiment is divided into two parts
that is part A and part B. In part A, 5 test tubes were obtained and each test tube were labelled
as A-30°C, A-40°C, A-50°C, A-60°C and A-70°C. Then, all of the test tubes were pipette
with 5ml of 0.05 M of sodium thiosulphate (Na 2S2O3) and 10ml of 0.2 M potassium ioidide
(KI) into each of the test tube. In part B, 5 test tubes were obtained and each test tube were
labelled as B-30°C, B-40°C, B-50°C, B-60°C and B-70°C. Then, all the test tubes were
pipette with 10ml of 0.1M potassium peroxydisulphate (K 2S2O8) and 5 drops of iodine
indicator in each test tube. Then, the test tubes were dipped into the water bath with different
temperature. By using a stopwatch, record the time and after exactly 3 minutes the solution in
each test tube in part A was transferred into the test tube in part B. When the solution were
mixed, a quick change were observed, the solution turns out colourless when the solution in
part A reacts with the solution in part B. The changes of the solutions were observed at
different temperature and also different time. It can be conclude that, the higher the
temperature lower time taken for the solution to turn to dark yellow. As the result showed, the
longest time taken for the colourless solution to turn to dark yellow which was 290s when the
temperature was at 30oC. While, the temperature for 70oC, it took the shortest time for the
colourless solution to turn to dark yellow which was 28s. Hence, the activation energy
obtained based on the graph was Ea=51148.559 J/mol-k. There were some possible errors
found in this experiment such as the equipment used was not cleaned before using it and the
rate of stirring is not constant. This error can be overcome by taking precaution steps. So, the
accurate results will be obtained.
INTRODUCTION

This experiment is designed to study the initial rate and activation energy for iodine
clock. The reaction involves the oxidation of iodide ions by peroxydisulphate ions in the
presence of thiosulphate ions, S2O32- as a delaying agent. The iodine clock reaction was
discovered by Hans Heinrich Landolt 1 and is mainly used to demonstrate kinetics in
Chemistry. The basis of its mechanism is that two clear solutions of known concentrations
are mixed together and after a delay, the solution will suddenly turn yellow. The time taken
for the colour to change will be measured and the rate of reaction can be determined by
taking the reciprocals of the measured times.

Several factors influence the rate of reaction of a substance. According to the collision
theory these factors include concentration of reactants which are peroxydisulphate and iodide
ions. If the concentration of iodide is higher than peroxydisulphate, the concentration of
iodide will hardly change during the experiment. The reaction rate appears as only depends
on concentration of peroxydisulphate ions. The way in which the rate law will be determined
is using the “Method of Initial Rates”. In this method, a series of experiments is carried out in
which the initial concentration of one of the reactants. The rate law is written as:

- d[S2O82-] = k’ [S2O82-] ……………… (1)

dt

Hence, the rate constant k can then be calculated. Consider the iodide ion concentration is in
excess. Suppose that the initial concentration of S2O82- is ao and t is a.

ln ¿) = k’ t ………………………… (2)

It is expected that the reaction occurs more quickly in the presence of greater concentration of
reactants. However, the reaction would take place too quickly if a delaying mechanism is not
introduced into the system. Such as, sodium thiosulphate solution is added to introduce
thiosulphate ions in the system.
 Another thing is to determine the activation energy for reaction. Reactants need to
have this amount of energy both to overcome the repulsive electron cloud forces between
approaching molecules and to break the existing bonds in the reacting molecules. This energy
can range from almost zero to many hundreds of kJ/mol. At the top of energetic barrier, there
is a transition state complex that forms instantaneously before the products are formed. This
energy barrier is called the activation energy, Ea. In general, the higher the activation energy,
the slower the reaction.

Figure 1: Example of activation energy on rate of reaction reactant

The activation energy is related to the rate constant by the Arrhenius equation. The rate
constant (k) for any reaction varies with absolute temperature (T) according to Arrhenius
equation:

k = A exp (-E/ RT)………………………………… (3)

ln k = ln A –E/RT…………………………………..(4)

Where E is activation energy of reaction, R is molar gas constant which is 8.314 J/mol.K and
A is known as the A-factor which relate to the frequency of collision between the reacting
molecule.
MATERIALS

1. 0.2 M Potassium Iodide (KI)

2. 0.05 M Sodium Thiosulphate ( Na 2 S2 O 3)
3. 0.1 M Potassium Peroxydisulphate ( K 2 S 2 O8)
4. Iodine Indicator (0.01 IODINE IN 0.1POTASSOUM IODIDE INDICATOR)
5. Beaker
6. Pipette
7. Test Tube (10 test tubes)
8. Water Bath (set at 30ºC, 40ºC, 50ºC, 60ºC and 70ºC)
9. Thermometer
10. Glass rod
11. Wooden tong

PROCEDURE

1. Take down the temp of the waterbath

2. Leave all solutions to submerge for 15 min
3. Part A: Five boiling tubes were obtained and labelled as A-30ºC, B-40ºC, C-50ºC,
D-60ºC and E-70ºC. 5 ml of 0.05 M sodium thiosulphate ( Na 2 S2 O 3) and 10 ml of 0.2
M potassium iodide (KI) were pipette into the boiling tube.
4. Place 5 boiling tubes in the tube rack
5. Part B: Another five test tubes were obtained and labelled as F-30ºC, G-40ºC, H-
50ºC, I-60ºC and J-70ºC. 10 ml of 0.1 M potassium peroxydisulphate ( K 2 S 2 O8) were
pipette into each of the test tube
6. Place 5 test tubes in the tube rack
7. Set a timer for 15 min
8. Submerge the tube rack in the waterbath with the desired temperature
9. Start the timer
10. All the test tubes (from Part A and B) were heated in the respective water baths. The
contents of the test tubes were allowed to reach the temperature of the water bath. A
 thermometer was used to monitor the temperature. (Note: The thermometer cannot
transfer from one test tube to the other or it will be contaminated).
11. The contents of the test tube in Part A were poured into the test tube in Part B once
the temperatures reached the point. and 7 drops of iodine indicator were dropped into
each of the test tube. The timer was started immediately after mixing.
12. The mixture was stirred using glass rod until the colourless solution turn to dark
yellow. The time was recorded in a proper table.
13. In order to assess how dark the solution would be, we look at the time take for a
red cross to disappear, one the cross is not visible, we record the time.

Trail Lab

Temperature (K) Time taken for colourless 1 1 −1

ln ( s−1) (K )
t T
solution turn to dark yellow (s)

303K (304 actual) 4:15

323K
333K
343K

1
ln (s−1)
t
Temperature Time taken for colourless solution turn to dark
1 −1
(K) yellow (s) (K )
T

1 2 3 4 5
303 (303.2) 6:26 7:38 7:24 7:22 7:18
313 (314.1) 3:53 3:31 3:23 3:27 3:19
323 (322.6) 2:06 1:09 2:09 2:24 2:13
333 (332.3) 1:14 1:17 1:12 1:20 1:11
343 (341.9) 0:45 0:42 0:47 0:49 0:54
NOTES:
 DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE HOW DARK THE CHEMICAL
SHOULD BE BEFORE THE TIMER COMES TO AN END,
THEREFORE THE CROSS PRINCIPLE WAS USED WHERE THE
TIMER WOULD BE STOPPED ONCE THE SOLUTION IS TOO
DARK FOR THE CROSS TO BE VISIBLE
 BY SIMPLY ADDING A LARGE CROSS AS AN INDICATION OF
HOW DARK THE SOLUTION IS, I WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE
THE SOLUTION FROM THE WATERBATH
 AS A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM I FACED DURING MY
TRAILS, I WILL BE DRAWING 3 CROSSES OF THREE DIFFERENT
COLOURS, RED BLUE AND BLACK
 CROSSES ARE DRAWN ON THE STICKY SIDE OF THE LABEL,
SO THAT CROSSES ARE FACING TOWARDS THE TEST TUBE
 THIS ACTS AS A MUCH FASTER WAY OF DETERMINING THE
DARKNESS OF THE SOLUTION
 ONE PROBLEM, LINES WERE NOT NESSESARILY THE SAME
THICKNESS DUE TO DIFFERENCES IN MARKER TIP.
DIFFERENCE WOULD BE NEGLIGIBLE THOUGH BECAUSE BY
PLACING IT ZOOMS IN
 BLACK COLOUR WOULD TAKE THE LONGEST TO BE VISIBLE
WHICH IS WHY IT WAS A GOOD INDICATOR TO DETERMINING
THE DESIREABLE BRIGHTNESS OF THE SOLUTION
 PROBLEM FACED, ADDED PERSULPHATE TO POTASSIUM
IODIDE INDICATOR LEAD TO BOTH REACTED NO REACTION
TAKEN PLACE AFTER
 NUMBER OF DROPS OF IODINE INDICATOR IS A VARIABLE
BECAUSE A REACTION TAKES PLACE WHERE .01M IODINE IN
POTASSIUM IODIDE REACTS IN SOLUTION TO FORM IODINE
 ONE CONTROL: FIRST WENT BY BLACK, COLOUR OF THE ‘X’
MARKED AS RED SINCE THE SOLUTION TURNS DARK
YELLOW, RED WAS THE BEST INDICATION AS IT
DISSAPEARED THE FASTEST
 ONE PROBLEM: INDICATION OF IF THE CROSS HAS
DISAPPEARED OR NOT IS BASED ON THE RESEARCHER, CAN
BE SUBJECTIVE AS SOMEONE
 ONE CONTROL: TIME GIVEN FOR THE SOLUTIONS TO HEAT UP
(15 MIN) TIMER WAS SET ONCE THE TUBES WERE
SUBMERGED TIMER STARTED
 RISK ASSESMENT: DURING CLEANUP, WHEN REMOVING TUBE
RACK FORM WATERBATH MAKE SURE WATER DOES NOT
SPILL AND CREATE A SLIPPERY ENVIRONMENT