Kinetics

• Kinetics

  The study of the rate of chemical reactions
• What does the rate normally depend on? How can it be investigated?

  The concentration of the reactants, it can only be investigated experimentally
• How is concentration represented?

  Concentration of A is represented as [A] and similar for B
• What is the order of a reaction?

  The different effects reactants have on rate. We determine this through experiments
• What are orders of reaction used for?

  To relate the rafe of a reaction to the reacting species
• Zero order 


  When changing [A] has no effect in rate (w.r.t. A)
• First order

  When doubling [A] doubles rate (w.r.t. A)
• Second order

  When doubling [A] increases rate fourfold (w.r.t. A)
• The order of a reaction with respect to any one reactant is the power to which the concentration of that reactant is raised in the rate equation
• What is k?

  The rate constant (a constant which takes account of the effect of other factors such as surface area, temperature etc