Astrud Ezequiel Ulili Locker 18F

Experiment 2. Kinetics: Rate of Chemical Reactions March 1, 2023

Abstract

The decomposition of sodium thiosulfate when introduced to hydrochloric acid had an increased reaction rate
with increasing concentration and temperature. This is due to increased collisions of particles and kinetic energy
in support of kinetic molecular theory; stoichiometric coefficients of the reaction may also be taken into
consideration. The reaction is first-order.

Introduction

Chemical kinetics studies reaction rates. The rate of reaction is the measure of the speed at which a reaction
occurs or the concentration difference of a reaction’s products and reactants per unit time. Rate of reaction
could be affected by solution concentration or temperature. Activation energy is the minimum amount of
energy required by reactants for them to undergo chemical transformations, determined by the nature of the
reactants or by the presence of catalysts. In this experiment, sodium thiosulfate will decompose:

Na2S2O3(aq) + 2HCl(aq) → S(s) + SO2(g) + H2O(l) + 2 NaCl(aq)

Furthermore, the reaction will be subject to various solution concentration and temperature conditions.

Methods

A Na2S2O3 solution (5.0 mL) is prepared in different concentrations (0.1, 0.08, 0.06, 0.04, 0.02 M) and
introduced to 2M HCl (5.0 mL). Then, 0.06 M Na2S2O3 solution is subjected to different temperature
conditions (29°C, 9°C, 19°C, 39°C, 49°C) and introduced to 2M HCl (5.0 mL). For both cases, the reaction’s
end is marked by a cloudy appearance.

Results

Figure 1. Concentration of Na2S2O3 against time

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Figure 2. Natural logarithm of concentration of Na2S2O3 against time

Figure 3. Reciprocal of concentration of Na2S2O3 against time

Figure 4. Average Time Reciprocal against temperature

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 Figure 5. Natural logarithm of the reaction rate constant against reciprocal of temperature

Discussion

From the first part of the experiment, in which reaction time and concentration are evaluated, the order of the
reaction with respect to Na2S2O3 is first (1), based on the appearance of the graphs for concentration and time
(Figures 1, 2, 3). The rate law for the reaction is then:

Rate = k[Na2S2O3]1

For the second part of the experiment, in which reaction time and temperature are evaluated, the activation
energy needed for the reaction is 109.7 Joules, as the slope of the graph of natural logarithm of the reaction rate
constant is -13.2 (Figure 5). With this, it is clear that the rate of reaction increases with increasing concentration
and also increases with increasing temperature.

Kinetic molecular theory was supported as reactions occurred at a faster rate when more sodium thiosulfate
particles were present, indicating that more collisions to make possible the reactions were also present.
Furthermore, added heat, which added more kinetic energy, also accelerated the reactions.

Stoichiometric coefficients may correlate strongly with rate laws. This is because reaction laws are based on the
balanced chemical reactions and the value of k, the reaction rate constant, varies depending on the way that the
reaction is written. The stoichiometric coefficient of a reactant or product should be considered in deriving the
concentration of the substance in a reaction; the derivative of a product or reactant is used to determine the rate
law (2).

Possible errors in this experiment may be in an inconsistency in mixing the sodium thiosulfate solution with
hydrochloric acid or in a failure to correctly time the reaction. The instruments used to measure the volume of
the substance may have also been incorrectly calibrated before use.

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Sample Calculations

𝐸𝑎 = − 𝑚𝑅
Where Ea is the activation energy (Joules), m is the slope of the graph of natural logarithm of the
reaction rate constant vs. reciprocal of temperature, and R is the universal gas constant, 8.314 Joules per
moles-Kelvin.
𝑀𝑊 = − (− 13. 2)(8. 314)
𝑀𝑊 = 109. 7448 Joules

Conclusions

The rate law for the decomposition of sodium thiosulfate to sulfur, sulfur dioxide, and water based on varying
solution concentrations was identified. The activation energy needed for the decomposition was also calculated
based on varying temperatures. Graphs that demonstrated the relationship between concentration, temperature,
and/or time were accurately created. Reaction rate increases with increasing temperature and increasing
temperature due to more collisions and kinetic energy.

References

LibreTexts Chemistry. 2.3: First-Order Reactions. Updated February 13 2023. Accessed February 17 2023.
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Supplemental
_Modules_%28Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry%29/Kinetics/02%3A_Reaction_Rates/2.03%3A_First-O
rder_Reactions

LibreTexts Chemistry. 4.10: Rate Laws - Differential. Updated February 13 2023. Accessed 28 February 2023.
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Supplemental
_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Kinetics/04%3A_Reaction_Mechanisms/4.10%3A_Rate_
Laws_-_Differential