Section 1: A Model for Reaction Rates

Collision theory is the key to understanding why some reactions are faster than
others.
K W L
What I Know What I Want to Find Out What I Learned
Essential Questions
• How can average rates of chemical reactions be calculated from
experimental data?
• How are the rates of chemical reactions related to collisions between
reacting particles?

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Vocabulary
Review New
• energy • reaction rate
• collision theory
• activated complex
• activation energy

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Expressing Reaction Rates
• The reaction rate of a chemical reaction is stated as the change in
concentration of a reactant or product per unit of time.

• Reaction rates are determined experimentally.

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CALCULATE AVERAGE REACTION RATES
KNOWN UNKNOWN
Use with Example Problem 1.
t1 = 0.00 s Average reaction rate
Problem = ? mol/(L • s)
In a reaction between butyl chloride (C 4H9Cl) and t2 = 4.00 s
water, the concentration of C4H9Cl is 0.220M at [C4H9Cl] at t1 = 0.220M
the beginning of the reaction. At 4.00 s, the
[C4H9Cl] at t2 = 0.100M
concentration of C4H9Cl is 0.100M. Calculate the
average reaction rate over the given time period
expressed as moles of C4H9Cl consumed per liter SOLVE
  FOR THE UNKNOWN
per second. • State the average reaction rate equation.
Response
=
ANALYZE THE PROBLEM
You are given the initial and final concentrations • Substitute t2 = 4.00 s, t1 = 0.00 s, [C4H9Cl] at
of the reactant C4H9Cl and the initial and final t2 = 0.100M, and [C4H9Cl] at t1
times. You can calculate the average reaction rate = 0.220M.
of the chemical reaction using the change in
concentration of butyl chloride in four seconds. =

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CALCULATE AVERAGE REACTION RATES

EVALUATE THE ANSWER

SOLVE
  FOR THE UNKNOWN (continued) The average reaction rate of 0.0300 moles
C4H9Cl consumed per liter per second is
• Substitute mol/L for M and perform the
reasonable based on the starting and ending
calculations. Note that the minus sign cancels
amounts. The answer is correctly expressed
out.
in three significant figures.
=
Average reaction rate =
= 0.0300 mol/(L•s)

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Collision Theory
• Collision theory states that atoms, ions, and molecules must collide in order to
react.

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Collision Theory
• An activated complex is a temporary, unstable arrangement of atoms in which
old bonds are breaking and new bonds are forming.

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 Molecular Orientation and Collision Effectiveness
Go to your ConnectED resources to play Animation: Molecular
Orientation and Collision Effectiveness.

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education A Model for Reaction Rates

Collision Theory
• The minimum amount of energy that
reacting particles must have to form the
activated complex and lead to a reaction
is called the activation energy.
• High activation energy means that few
collisions have the required energy, and
the reaction rate is slow.

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Collision Theory

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education A Model for Reaction Rates

Collision Theory

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education A Model for Reaction Rates

Spontaneity and Reaction Rate
• Are more spontaneous reactions faster than less spontaneous reactions?
• ΔG indicates only the natural tendency for a reaction to proceed—it does not
affect the rate of a chemical reaction.

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education A Model for Reaction Rates

• 1.Which of the following is the theory that
states that atoms, molecules, and ions must
collide for a chemical reaction to occur?

1. collision theory
2. accident theory
3. reaction theory
4. mechanism
• Chemical A breaks down into chemical B. At
t=0, [A] = 0.100 M. At t=10.0 s, [A] = 0.075 M.
What is the average reaction rate?

1.      0.0925 mol/Ls
2.      0.0975 mol/Ls
3.      0.0025 mol/Ls
4.      0.25 mol/Ls
Review
Essential Questions
• How can average rates of chemical reactions be calculated from
experimental data?
• How are the rates of chemical reactions related to collisions between
reacting particles?

Vocabulary
•reaction rate •activated complex
•collision theory •activation energy

Copyright © McGraw-Hill Education A Model for Reaction Rates