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Chemical Kinetics
Chemical Kinetics
Chemical Kinetics
Figure 3 This graph shows a plot of Except for substances in the gaseous
concentration versus time for a state or in solution, reactions
1.000 M solution of H2O2. The rate occur at the boundary, or interface,
at any instant is equal to the between two phases. Hence, the rate
opposite of the slope of a line of a reaction between two phases
tangential to this curve at that depends to a great extent on the
time. Tangents are shown at t = 0 h surface contact between them. A
(“initial rate”) and at t = 10 h finely divided solid has more
(“instantaneous rate” at that surface area available for reaction
particular time). than does one large piece of the
same substance. Thus a liquid will
2. Factors Affecting Reactions Rate react more rapidly with a finely
divided solid than with a large
By the end of this section, you piece of the same solid. For
will be able to: example, large pieces of iron react
slowly with acids; finely divided
iron reacts much more rapidly
• Describe the effects of
(Figure 4). Large pieces of wood
chemical nature, physical
smolder, smaller pieces burn
rate = k[A]m[B]n
Zero-Order Reactions
In most circumstances, it is
impossible to isolate or identify a
transition state or activated
complex. In the reaction between
carbon monoxide and oxygen to form
carbon dioxide, activated complexes
have only been observed
spectroscopically in systems that
utilize a heterogeneous catalyst.
The gas-phase reaction occurs too
rapidly to isolate any such chemical Figure 10 This graph compares the
compound. Collision theory explains reaction coordinates for catalyzed
why most reaction rates increase as and uncatalyzed alkene
concentrations increase. With an hydrogenation.
increase in the concentration of any
reacting substance, the chances for Catalysts function by providing an
collisions between molecules are alternate reaction mechanism that
increased because there are more has a lower activation energy than
molecules per unit of volume. More would be found in the absence of the
collisions mean a faster reaction catalyst. In some cases, the
rate, assuming the energy of the catalyzed mechanism may include
collisions is adequate. additional steps, as depicted
5. Collision Theory