--%>

Describe First Order Rate Equation

The integrated forms of the first order rate equations are conveniently used to compare concentration time results with this rate equation.

Rate equations show the dependence of the rate of the reaction on concentration can be integrated to give expressions for the dependence of the concentrations on time. We generally use the integrated rate equation that is obtained to deduce the order of a reaction.

A first order reaction is one for which, at a given temperature, the rate of the reaction depends only on the first power of the concentration of a single reacting species. If the concentrations of this species is represented by c (for solutions, the units of moles per litre are ordinarily used), and if the volume of the system remains essentially constant during the course of the reaction, the first order rate equation can be written

-dc/dt = kc

The rate of constant k is then a positive quantity and has the units of the reciprocal of time.

Integrated rate equation: the experimental results obtained in a study of the rate of a reaction are usually values of c or some related to c at various times. Such data can best be compared with the integrated form of the first order rate equation. If the concentration at time t = 0 is c0, and if at some later time t the concentration has fallen to c, the integration gives

481_First order reactions.png 

With -In (c/c0) = In (c0/c), the integration can be written as

In c0/c = kt

Sometimes a more convenient form is

In c = -kt + In c0

A reaction can therefore be said to be first order if a plot of In (c0/c) or In c versus t gives a straight line. If a straight line is obtained, the slope of the line can be used to give the value of the rate constant k. an alternative to this graphical procedure is the calculation of a value of kfrom the individual measurements of c at the various times t, for example. The reaction is classified as first order if all the data lead to essentially the same values for k, that is, if it is satisfies with k as a constant.

Example: the rate of conversion of tert-butyl bromide to tert-butyl alcohol, (CH3)3CBr + H2O 1598_First order reactions1.png (CH3)3COH + HBr, has been studied and some concentration-time results are found in table given below. Verify that the reaction is first order, and deduce the values of the rate constant at the two temperatures.

Solution: from the data at each temperature we calculate In (c0/c) values. Then the graphical display shows a plot of In (c0/c) versus t is constructed. The straight lines, each going through the origin show that at both temperatures the data conform to the integrated first order relation. The slopes give the values of the rate constants 

K = 0.00082 min-1 = 0.137 × 10-4 s-1 [25°C]    

K = 0.0142 min-1 = 2.37 × 10-4 s-1 [50°C]    


Concentration of tert butyl bromide as a function of time for the reaction (CH3)3CBr + H2O 1598_First order reactions1.png (CH3)3COH + HBr in a 10% water, 90% acetone solvent

At 25°C  At 50°C
Time, h (CH3)3CBr, Mol L-1 Time, min (CH3)3CBr, Mol L-1
0 0.1039 0 0.1056
3.15 0.0896 9 0.0961
6.20 0.0776 18 0.0856
10.0 0.0639 27 0.0767
13.5 0.0529 40 0.0645
18.3 0.0353 54 0.0536
26.0 0.0270 72 0.0432
30.8 0.0207 105 0.0270
37.3 0.0142 135 0.0174
43.8 0.0101 180 0.0089

   Related Questions in Chemistry

  • Q : Question 6 A student was analyzing an

    A student was analyzing an unknown containing only Group IV cations. When the unknown was treated with 3M (NH4)2CO3 solution, a white precipitate formed. Because the acetic acid bottle was empty, the student used 6M HCl to dissolve the precipitate. Following the procedure of this experiment, the stu

  • Q : Colligative effect Choose the right

    Choose the right answer from following. Which one of the statements written below concerning properties of solutions, explain a colligative effect: (a) Boiling point of pure water decreases by the addition of ethano (b) Vapour pressure of pure water d

  • Q : Problem based on normality Choose the

    Choose the right answer from following. NaClO solution reacts with H2SO3 as,. NaClO + H2SO3→NaCl+ H2SO4. A solution of NaClO utilized in the above reaction contained 15g of NaClO per litre. The

  • Q : Molarity of Sulfuric acid Choose the

    Choose the right answer from following. What is the molarity of H2SO4 solution, that has a density 1.84 gm/cc at 35c and contains solute 98% by weight: (a) 4.18 M (b) 8.14 M (c)18.4 M (d)18 M

  • Q : F-centres If a electron is present in

    If a electron is present in place of anion in a crystal lattice, then it is termed as: (a) Frenkel defect  (b) Schottky defect  (c) Interstitial defects (d) F-centre Answer: (d) When electrons are trapped in anion vacancies, thes

  • Q : Electrons present in a benzene How

    How many electrons are present in a benzene?

  • Q : Coordination compounds discuss

    discuss practical uses of coordination compounds

  • Q : Problem based on molarity Select the

    Select the right answer of the question. If 18 gm of glucose (C6H12O6) is present in 1000 gm of an aqueous solution of glucose, it is said to be: (a)1 molal (b)1.1 molal (c)0.5 molal (d)0.1 molal

  • Q : Thermodynamics I) Sulphur dioxide (SO2)

    I) Sulphur dioxide (SO2) with a volumetric flow rate 5000cm3/s at 1 bar and 1000C is mixed with a second SO2 stream flowing at 2500cm3/s at 2 bar and 200C. The process occurs at steady state. You may assume ideal gas behaviour. For SO2 take the heat capacity at constant pressure to be CP/R = 3.267

  • Q : The Liver Is Responsible For Much Of

    The Liver Is Responsible For Much Of The Pentose Phosphate Activity Explain