Chapter 10: Problem 97
The half-life of a chemical reaction at a particular concentration is \(50 \mathrm{~min}\), when the concentration of reactants is doubled, the half-life becomes \(100 \mathrm{~min}\). Find the order. (a) zero (b) first (c) second (d) third
Short Answer
Expert verified
The reaction is second order (c).
Step by step solution
01
Understanding Half-Life and Reaction Order
The half-life of a reaction is the time required for the concentration of a reactant to decrease by half. Reaction order affects how half-life changes with concentration changes. We need to determine the order based on the given changes in half-life at different concentrations.
02
Observing Half-life Change with Concentration
The problem states that when the concentration of the reactant is doubled, the half-life increases from 50 minutes to 100 minutes. For reactions of different orders, the relationship between half-life and concentration can vary.
03
Analyzing Zero Order Reaction
In a zero-order reaction, the half-life decreases as concentration increases, according to the formula: \[ t_{1/2} = \frac{[A]_0}{2k} \] where \([A]_0\) is the initial concentration and \(k\) is the rate constant. Here, doubling concentration should lead to a reduced half-life, not an increased half-life.
04
Analyzing First Order Reaction
In a first-order reaction, the half-life is independent of the concentration, given by the formula: \[ t_{1/2} = \frac{0.693}{k} \]Doubling concentration does not affect the half-life, contradicting our observation.
05
Analyzing Second Order Reaction
For a second-order reaction, the half-life increases with the increase in concentration. The formula for half-life is: \[ t_{1/2} = \frac{1}{k[A]_0} \]Doubling the concentration results in doubling the half-life, which matches the given change from 50 minutes to 100 minutes.
06
Determining the Order
Based on the analysis, only the second-order reaction description fits the observed change in half-life with a change in concentration. Thus, the reaction is of second order.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Half-Life
The half-life of a chemical reaction is the time it takes for the concentration of a reactant to reduce to half its original amount. It is a critical concept in chemistry, especially in the study of reaction kinetics.
Understanding how half-life relates to concentration changes is essential to determine the reaction's order.
This relationship helps chemists predict how long it will take for a reaction to reach a certain extent, which is valuable in various industrial and scientific applications.
Understanding how half-life relates to concentration changes is essential to determine the reaction's order.
- For some reactions, half-life is constant, regardless of concentration.
- For others, it may vary depending on how concentration changes.
This relationship helps chemists predict how long it will take for a reaction to reach a certain extent, which is valuable in various industrial and scientific applications.
Zero Order Reaction
In a zero-order reaction, the rate of the reaction is constant, not dependent on the concentration of the reactants. This means that the concentration decreases at a steady rate over time.
The formula for the half-life of a zero-order reaction is:\[t_{1/2} = \frac{[A]_0}{2k}\]Here,
The formula for the half-life of a zero-order reaction is:\[t_{1/2} = \frac{[A]_0}{2k}\]Here,
- \([A]_0\) is the initial concentration
- \(k\) is the rate constant.
First Order Reaction
In a first-order reaction, the rate depends linearly on the concentration of one reactant. The unique aspect of first-order reactions is that their half-life remains constant regardless of changes in concentration.
The half-life can be calculated with:\[t_{1/2} = \frac{0.693}{k}\]This formula tells us that the half-life
The half-life can be calculated with:\[t_{1/2} = \frac{0.693}{k}\]This formula tells us that the half-life
- Does not depend on the initial concentration.
Second Order Reaction
A second-order reaction's rate is proportional to either the square of one reactant's concentration or the product of two reactants' concentrations.
The half-life for a second-order reaction is expressed as:\[t_{1/2} = \frac{1}{k[A]_0}\]From this formula:
The half-life for a second-order reaction is expressed as:\[t_{1/2} = \frac{1}{k[A]_0}\]From this formula:
- The half-life increases as the initial concentration decreases.
- Doubling initial concentration directly doubles the half-life.