IB Chemistry

Problems on kinetics I
Name ………………………………………………………..

1. The reaction between ammonium chloride and sodium nitrite in aqueous

solution can be represented by the following equation.

NH4Cl(aq) + NaNO2(aq) → N2(g) + 2H2O(l) + NaCl(aq)

The graph below shows the volume of nitrogen gas produced at 30 second
intervals from a mixture of ammonium chloride and sodium nitrite in aqueous
solution at 20°C.
140

120

100

80
Volume of N 2 / cm 3
60

40

20

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Time / s

(a) (i) State how the rate of formation of nitrogen changes with time.
Explain your answer in terms of collision theory.

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(2)

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 IB Chemistry

(ii) Explain why the volume eventually remains constant.

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(1)

(b) (i) State how the rate of formation of nitrogen would change if the
temperature were increased from 20°C to 40°C.

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(1)

(ii) State two reasons for the change described in (b)(i) and explain
which of the two is more important in causing the change.

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(3)

(iii) The reaction between solid ammonium chloride and aqueous

sodium nitrite can be represented by the following equation.

NH4Cl(s) + NaNO2(aq) → N2(g) + 2H2O(l) + NaCl(aq)

State and explain how the rate of formation of nitrogen would

change if the same amount of ammonium chloride was used as large
lumps instead of as a fine powder.

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(2)
(Total 9 marks)

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 IB Chemistry

2. The graph below shows the volume of carbon dioxide gas produced against time
when excess calcium carbonate is added to x cm3 of 2.0 mol dm–3 hydrochloric
acid.

Volume of CO 2

Time

(i) Write a balanced equation for the reaction.

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(1)

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(ii) State and explain the change in the rate of reaction with time. Outline how
you would determine the rate of the reaction at a particular time.

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(4)

(iii) Sketch the above graph on an answer sheet. On the same graph, draw the
curves you would expect if:

I. the same volume (x cm3) of 1.0 mol dm–3 HCl is used.

II. double the volume (2x cm3) of 1.0 mol dm–3 HCl is used.

Label the curves and explain your answer in each case.

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(5)
(Total 10 marks)

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 IB Chemistry

3. The reaction between two substances A and B

A+B→C+D

has the following rate expression:

rate = k [B]

Draw the graphical representation of:

[A] against time [B] against time

[A] [B]

time time

rate against [A] rate against [B]

rate rate

[A] [B]

(Total 3 marks)

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4. The compound iodine chloride, ICl, reacts with hydrogen to form iodine and
hydrogen chloride.

(i) Deduce the equation for this reaction.

(1)

(ii) The kinetics of this reaction were studied at a certain temperature, when
all the reactants and products were in the gas phase. The table shows the
initial rate of reaction for different concentrations of reactants.

Initial rate /
Experiment [ICl] / mol dm–3 [H2] / mol dm–3
mol dm–3 s–1

1 0.100 0.0500 5.00×10–3

2 0.200 0.0500 1.00×10–2

3 0.200 0.0250 2.50×10–3

Deduce and explain the order of reaction with respect to ICl and to H2.
(4)

(iii) Write the rate expression for the reaction.

(1)

(iv) Use information from Experiment 1 to determine the value, with units, of
the rate constant for the reaction.

(2)

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 IB Chemistry

(v) Determine the rate of reaction when the concentrations of reactants in

Experiment 1 are both doubled.

(1)
(Total 9 marks)

5. Nitrogen(II) oxide reacts with bromine according to the following equation.

2NO(g) + Br2(g) → 2NOBr(g) DH = negative

The data below were obtained for the reaction between NO(g) and Br2(g) at a
specified temperature and pressure.

Initial [NO] / Initial [Br2] / Initial rate / mol dm–3 s–

Experiment
mol dm–3 mol dm–3 1

1 2.00×10–2 5.00×10–3 3.20×10–3

2 2.00×10–2 2.50×10–3 1.60×10–3

3 4.00×10–2 5.00×10–3 1.30×10–2

(a) Determine, giving a reason, the order of reaction with respect to NO and
the order of reaction with respect to Br2.

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(2)

(b) Derive the rate expression for the reaction between NO and Br2.

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(1)

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 IB Chemistry

(c) Calculate the rate constant for the rate expression using experiment 1 and
state its units.

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(2)

(d) If the total volume of the reaction mixture was doubled at constant
temperature, state the effect, if any, on

(i) the rate constant.

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(1)

(ii) the rate of change of the Br2(g) concentration.

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(1)

(e) Draw a labelled enthalpy level diagram for the reaction between NO(g)
and Br2(g), with and without the use of a catalyst.

(3)
(Total 10 marks)

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 IB Chemistry

1
6. Consider the following graph of ln k against (temperature in Kelvin) for the
T
second order decomposition of N2O into N2 and O.

N 2O → N 2 + O

1
/ 10 −3 K–1
T

(a) State how the rate constant, k varies with temperature, T.

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(1)

(b) Determine the activation energy, Ea, for this reaction.

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(3)

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(c) The rate expression for this reaction is rate = k [N2O]2 and the rate constant
is 0.244 dm3 mol–1 s–1 at 750 °C.

A sample of N2O of concentration 0.200 mol dm–3 is allowed to

decompose. Calculate the rate when 10 % of the N2O has reacted.

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(2)
(Total 6 marks)

[6]

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