Topic 11 - How fast? Rates of reaction

Reaction Kinetics

1. Recall the factors controlling the rate of a chemical reaction based on the qualitative understanding of collision theory.
2. Explain and use the terms: rate of reaction, rate equation, order of reaction, rate constant, half life of a reaction, rate determining step, activation energy, catalysis.
3. Use and construct rate equations of the form rate =k[A]^m[B]ⁿ (limited to simple cases of simple step reactions and multi-step processes with rate determining step, for which m and n are 0,1, or 2).
4. Calculate an initial rate using experimental kinetic data.
5. Deduce the order of a reaction by initial rates methods.
6. Deduce the order of reaction (0, 1^st and 2^nd order), from concentration-time and rate-concentration graphs.
7. Calculate a rate constant using initial rate methods.
8. Explain that the half life of a first order reaction is independent of the concentration.
9. Use the half-life of a first order reaction in a calculation.
10. Check that a suggested reaction mechanism is consistent with the order of reaction.
11. Propose a reaction mechanism consistent with a given, or determined, order of reaction.
12. Predict the order that would result from a given reaction mechanism.
13. Understand that many reactions proceed through a transition state.
14. Explain qualitatively, in terms of collisions, the effect of concentration changes on the rate of a reaction.

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