Kinetics & Equilibrium
Chemical kinetics is the study of the speed or rate of a reaction under various conditions. Spontaneity is also important AND a spontaneous reaction does NOT imply a rapid reaction. The changing of diamond into graphite is spontaneous but so slow that it is not detectable even in a lifetime. A mechanism is a sequence of events at the molecular level that controls the speed and outcome of the reaction.You should be able to do the following upon completion of the unit:
THE NATURE OF THE EQUILIBRIUM STATE: Equilibrium is the state where the concentrations of all reactants and products remain constant with time.
*The first problem in section II of the AP exam is based on equilibrium. It is worth 20% of the free response score.
- Identify factors that affect reaction rates.
- Calculate the rate of production of a product or consumption of a reactant using mole ratios and the given rate.
- Determine the rate law for a reaction from given data, overall order, and value of the rate constant, inclusive of units.
- Determine the instantaneous rate of a reaction.
- Use integrated rate laws to determine concentrations at a certain time, t, and create graphs to determine the order of a reaction. Also determine the half life of a reaction.
- Write the rate law from a given mechanism given the speeds of each elementary step.
- Write the overall reaction for a mechanism and identify catalysts and intermediates present.
- Determine the activation energy for the reaction using the Arrhenius equation.
- Graphically determine the activation energy using the Arrhenius equation.
THE NATURE OF THE EQUILIBRIUM STATE: Equilibrium is the state where the concentrations of all reactants and products remain constant with time.
*The first problem in section II of the AP exam is based on equilibrium. It is worth 20% of the free response score.