Rate Law

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What is a rate law?

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A rate law is an equation that relates the rate of a chemical reaction to the concentration of its reactants, typically in the form: Rate = k [A]^m [B]^n, where k is the rate constant, and m and n are the reaction orders with respect to reactants A and B.

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How is the overall order of a reaction determined?

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The overall order of a reaction is determined by adding the exponents of the concentration terms in the rate law. For example, in Rate = k [A]^2[B], the overall order is 2 + 1 = 3.

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What does the rate constant (k) represent in a rate law?

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The rate constant (k) is a proportionality factor that relates the rate of the reaction to the concentrations of the reactants. It is specific to a particular reaction at a given temperature.

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What is the significance of the reaction order in a rate law?

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The reaction order indicates how the rate of reaction changes with changes in the concentration of reactants. A first-order reaction means the rate is directly proportional to the concentration of one reactant.

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If the concentration of reactant A is doubled in a first-order reaction, how does the rate change?

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If the concentration of reactant A is doubled in a first-order reaction, the rate of reaction also doubles.

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What is the effect of tripling the concentration of reactant B in a second-order reaction?

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In a second-order reaction with respect to B, tripling the concentration of B will increase the rate by a factor of 3^2 = 9.

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How can you experimentally determine the rate law of a reaction?

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The rate law can be determined experimentally by measuring the rate of reaction at different concentrations of reactants and analyzing the data to find the relationship between concentration and rate.

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What is the purpose of using different trials in rate law experiments?

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Different trials are used to isolate the effects of individual reactants on the rate of reaction, allowing for the determination of the reaction orders with respect to each reactant.

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What does it mean if a rate law must be determined experimentally?

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It means that the rate law cannot be predicted solely from the balanced chemical equation and must be established through experimental data.

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What is the relationship between stoichiometry and rate laws?

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While stoichiometry provides information about the amounts of reactants and products, the rate law must be determined experimentally and does not always reflect the stoichiometric coefficients.