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The half-life of a reaction is the time required to decrease the amount of a given reactant by one-half. The half-life of a zero-order reaction decreases as the initial concentration of the reactant in the reaction decreases. The half-life of a first-order reaction is independent of concentration, and the half-life of a second-order reaction decreases as the concentration increases.

Key equations

  • integrated rate law for zero-order reactions: [ A ] = k t + [ A ] 0 , t 1 / 2 = [ A ] 0 2 k
  • integrated rate law for first-order reactions: ln [ A ] = k t + ln [ A ] 0 , t 1 / 2 = 0.693 k
  • integrated rate law for second-order reactions: 1 [ A ] = k t + 1 [ A ] 0 , t 1 / 2 = 1 [ A ] 0 k

Chemistry end of chapter exercises

Describe how graphical methods can be used to determine the order of a reaction and its rate constant from a series of data that includes the concentration of A at varying times.

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Use the data provided to graphically determine the order and rate constant of the following reaction: SO 2 Cl 2 SO 2 + Cl 2

Time (s) 0 5.00 × 10 3 1.00 × 10 4 1.50 × 10 4
[SO 2 Cl 2 ] ( M ) 0.100 0.0896 0.0802 0.0719
Time (s) 2.50 × 10 4 3.00 × 10 4 4.00 × 10 4
[SO 2 Cl 2 ] ( M ) 0.0577 0.0517 0.0415

Plotting a graph of ln[SO 2 Cl 2 ] versus t reveals a linear trend; therefore we know this is a first-order reaction:
A graph is shown with the label “Time ( s )” on the x-axis and “l n [ S O subscript 2 C l subscript 2 ] M” on the y-axis. The x-axis begins at 0 and extends to 4.00 times 10 superscript 4 with markings every 1.00 times 10 superscript 4. The y-axis shows markings extending from negative 3.5 to negative 2.5. A decreasing linear trend line is drawn through seven points at the approximate coordinates: (0, negative 2.3), (0.5 times 10 superscript 4, negative 2.4), (1.0 times 10 superscript 4, negative 2.5), (1.5 times 10 superscript 4, negative 2.6), (2.0 times 10 superscript 4, negative 2.9), (2.5 times 10 superscript 4, negative 3.0), and (3.0 times 10 superscript 4, negative 3.2).
k = −2.20 × 10 5 s −1

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Use the data provided in a graphical method to determine the order and rate constant of the following reaction:
2 P Q + W

Time (s) 9.0 13.0 18.0 22.0 25.0
[P] ( M ) 1.077 × 10 −3 1.068 × 10 −3 1.055 × 10 −3 1.046 × 10 −3 1.039 × 10 −3

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Pure ozone decomposes slowly to oxygen, 2O 3 ( g ) 3O 2 ( g ) . Use the data provided in a graphical method and determine the order and rate constant of the reaction.

Time (h) 0 2.0 × 10 3 7.6 × 10 3 1.00 × 10 4
[O 3 ] ( M ) 1.00 × 10 −5 4.98 × 10 −6 2.07 × 10 −6 1.66 × 10 −6
Time (h) 1.23 × 10 4 1.43 × 10 4 1.70 × 10 4
[O 3 ] ( M ) 1.39 × 10 −6 1.22 × 10 −6 1.05 × 10 −6


A graph is shown with the label, “t ( h ,)” on the x-axis and, “1 divided by [ O subscript 3 ] M,” on the y-axis. The x-axis shows markings at 0, 2 times 10 superscript 3, 6 times 10 superscript 3, 10 time 10 superscript 3, 14 times 10 superscript 3, and 18 times 10 superscript 3. The y-axis shows markings beginning at 0, increasing by 1 up to and including 9. An increasing linear trend line is drawn through seven points at the coordinates: (0, 1.00), (2.0 times 10 superscript 3, 2.01), (7.6 times 10 superscript 3, 4.83), (1.00 times 10 superscript 4, 6.02), (1.23 times 10 superscript 4 , 6.02), (1.43 times 10 superscript 4, 8.20) and (1.70 times 10 superscript 4, 9.52). A horizontal line segment is drawn through the first point and a vertical line segment is similarly drawn through the last point to make a right triangle on the graph. The horizontal leg of the triangle is labeled “ capital delta t.” The vertical leg is labeled “capital delta 1 divided by [ O subscript 3 ].”
The plot is nicely linear, so the reaction is second order.
k = 50.1 L mol −1 h −1

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From the given data, use a graphical method to determine the order and rate constant of the following reaction:
2 X Y + Z

Time (s) 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0
[ X ] ( M ) 0.0990 0.0497 0.0332 0.0249 0.0200 0.0166 0.0143 0.0125

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What is the half-life for the first-order decay of phosphorus-32? ( 15 32 P 16 32 S + e ) The rate constant for the decay is 4.85 × 10 −2 day −1 .

14.3 d

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What is the half-life for the first-order decay of carbon-14? ( 6 14 C 7 14 N + e ) The rate constant for the decay is 1.21 × 10 −4 year −1 .

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What is the half-life for the decomposition of NOCl when the concentration of NOCl is 0.15 M ? The rate constant for this second-order reaction is 8.0 × 10 −8 L/mol/s.

8.3 × 10 7 s

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What is the half-life for the decomposition of O 3 when the concentration of O 3 is 2.35 × 10 −6 M ? The rate constant for this second-order reaction is 50.4 L/mol/h.

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The reaction of compound   A to give compounds   C and   D was found to be second-order in   A . The rate constant for the reaction was determined to be 2.42 L/mol/s. If the initial concentration is 0.500 mol/L, what is the value of t 1/2 ?

0.826 s

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The half-life of a reaction of compound A to give compounds D and E is 8.50 min when the initial concentration of A is 0.150 mol/L. How long will it take for the concentration to drop to 0.0300 mol/L if the reaction is (a) first order with respect to A or (b) second order with respect to A ?

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Some bacteria are resistant to the antibiotic penicillin because they produce penicillinase, an enzyme with a molecular weight of 3 × 10 4 g/mol that converts penicillin into inactive molecules. Although the kinetics of enzyme-catalyzed reactions can be complex, at low concentrations this reaction can be described by a rate equation that is first order in the catalyst (penicillinase) and that also involves the concentration of penicillin. From the following data: 1.0 L of a solution containing 0.15 µg (0.15 × 10 −6 g) of penicillinase, determine the order of the reaction with respect to penicillin and the value of the rate constant.

[Penicillin] ( M ) Rate (mol/L/min)
2.0 × 10 −6 1.0 × 10 −10
3.0 × 10 −6 1.5 × 10 −10
4.0 × 10 −6 2.0 × 10 −10

The reaction is first order.
k = 1.0 × 10 7 mol −1 min −1

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Both technetium-99 and thallium-201 are used to image heart muscle in patients with suspected heart problems. The half-lives are 6 h and 73 h, respectively. What percent of the radioactivity would remain for each of the isotopes after 2 days (48 h)?

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There are two molecules with the formula C 3 H 6 . Propene, CH 3 CH = CH 2 , is the monomer of the polymer polypropylene, which is used for indoor-outdoor carpets. Cyclopropane is used as an anesthetic:
A structural formula for cyclopropane is shown. Three C H subscript 2 groups are positioned as vertices of an equilateral triangle connected with single bonds represented by line segments.

When heated to 499 °C, cyclopropane rearranges (isomerizes) and forms propene with a rate constant of
5.95 × 10 −4 s −1 . What is the half-life of this reaction? What fraction of the cyclopropane remains after 0.75 h at 499.5 °C?

4.98; 20% remains

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Fluorine-18 is a radioactive isotope that decays by positron emission to form oxygen-18 with a half-life of 109.7 min. (A positron is a particle with the mass of an electron and a single unit of positive charge; the equation is 518 9 F 18 8 O + e . ) Physicians use 18 F to study the brain by injecting a quantity of fluoro-substituted glucose into the blood of a patient. The glucose accumulates in the regions where the brain is active and needs nourishment.

(a) What is the rate constant for the decomposition of fluorine-18?

(b) If a sample of glucose containing radioactive fluorine-18 is injected into the blood, what percent of the radioactivity will remain after 5.59 h?

(c) How long does it take for 99.99% of the 18 F to decay?

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Suppose that the half-life of steroids taken by an athlete is 42 days. Assuming that the steroids biodegrade by a first-order process, how long would it take for 1 64 of the initial dose to remain in the athlete’s body?

252 days

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Recently, the skeleton of King Richard III was found under a parking lot in England. If tissue samples from the skeleton contain about 93.79% of the carbon-14 expected in living tissue, what year did King Richard III die? The half-life for carbon-14 is 5730 years.

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Nitroglycerine is an extremely sensitive explosive. In a series of carefully controlled experiments, samples of the explosive were heated to 160 °C and their first-order decomposition studied. Determine the average rate constants for each experiment using the following data:

Initial [C 3 H 5 N 3 O 9 ] ( M ) 4.88 3.52 2.29 1.81 5.33 4.05 2.95 1.72
t (s) 300 300 300 300 180 180 180 180
% Decomposed 52.0 52.9 53.2 53.9 34.6 35.9 36.0 35.4

[ A ] 0 ( M ) k × 10 3 (s −1 )
4.88 2.45
3.52 2.51
2.29 2.54
1.81 2.58
5.33 2.35
4.05 2.44
2.95 2.47
1.72 2.43

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For the past 10 years, the unsaturated hydrocarbon 1,3-butadiene ( CH 2 = CH CH = CH 2 ) has ranked 38th among the top 50 industrial chemicals. It is used primarily for the manufacture of synthetic rubber. An isomer exists also as cyclobutene:
A structural formula for cyclobutene is shown. The figure has two C H subscript 2 groups as the upper two vertices of a square structure. These groups are connected by a single, short line segment. Line segments extend below each of these C H subscript 2 groups to C H groups positioned at the lower two vertices of the square structure. The C H groups are connected with a double line segment indicating a double bond.

The isomerization of cyclobutene to butadiene is first-order and the rate constant has been measured as 2.0 × 10 −4 s −1 at 150 °C in a 0.53-L flask. Determine the partial pressure of cyclobutene and its concentration after 30.0 minutes if an isomerization reaction is carried out at 150 °C with an initial pressure of 55 torr.

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Questions & Answers

Three charges q_{1}=+3\mu C, q_{2}=+6\mu C and q_{3}=+8\mu C are located at (2,0)m (0,0)m and (0,3) coordinates respectively. Find the magnitude and direction acted upon q_{2} by the two other charges.Draw the correct graphical illustration of the problem above showing the direction of all forces.
Kate Reply
To solve this problem, we need to first find the net force acting on charge q_{2}. The magnitude of the force exerted by q_{1} on q_{2} is given by F=\frac{kq_{1}q_{2}}{r^{2}} where k is the Coulomb constant, q_{1} and q_{2} are the charges of the particles, and r is the distance between them.
Muhammed
What is the direction and net electric force on q_{1}= 5µC located at (0,4)r due to charges q_{2}=7mu located at (0,0)m and q_{3}=3\mu C located at (4,0)m?
Kate Reply
what is the change in momentum of a body?
Eunice Reply
what is a capacitor?
Raymond Reply
Capacitor is a separation of opposite charges using an insulator of very small dimension between them. Capacitor is used for allowing an AC (alternating current) to pass while a DC (direct current) is blocked.
Gautam
A motor travelling at 72km/m on sighting a stop sign applying the breaks such that under constant deaccelerate in the meters of 50 metres what is the magnitude of the accelerate
Maria Reply
please solve
Sharon
8m/s²
Aishat
What is Thermodynamics
Muordit
velocity can be 72 km/h in question. 72 km/h=20 m/s, v^2=2.a.x , 20^2=2.a.50, a=4 m/s^2.
Mehmet
A boat travels due east at a speed of 40meter per seconds across a river flowing due south at 30meter per seconds. what is the resultant speed of the boat
Saheed Reply
50 m/s due south east
Someone
which has a higher temperature, 1cup of boiling water or 1teapot of boiling water which can transfer more heat 1cup of boiling water or 1 teapot of boiling water explain your . answer
Ramon Reply
I believe temperature being an intensive property does not change for any amount of boiling water whereas heat being an extensive property changes with amount/size of the system.
Someone
Scratch that
Someone
temperature for any amount of water to boil at ntp is 100⁰C (it is a state function and and intensive property) and it depends both will give same amount of heat because the surface available for heat transfer is greater in case of the kettle as well as the heat stored in it but if you talk.....
Someone
about the amount of heat stored in the system then in that case since the mass of water in the kettle is greater so more energy is required to raise the temperature b/c more molecules of water are present in the kettle
Someone
definitely of physics
Haryormhidey Reply
how many start and codon
Esrael Reply
what is field
Felix Reply
physics, biology and chemistry this is my Field
ALIYU
field is a region of space under the influence of some physical properties
Collete
what is ogarnic chemistry
WISDOM Reply
determine the slope giving that 3y+ 2x-14=0
WISDOM
Another formula for Acceleration
Belty Reply
a=v/t. a=f/m a
IHUMA
innocent
Adah
pratica A on solution of hydro chloric acid,B is a solution containing 0.5000 mole ofsodium chlorid per dm³,put A in the burret and titrate 20.00 or 25.00cm³ portion of B using melting orange as the indicator. record the deside of your burret tabulate the burret reading and calculate the average volume of acid used?
Nassze Reply
how do lnternal energy measures
Esrael
Two bodies attract each other electrically. Do they both have to be charged? Answer the same question if the bodies repel one another.
JALLAH Reply
No. According to Isac Newtons law. this two bodies maybe you and the wall beside you. Attracting depends on the mass och each body and distance between them.
Dlovan
Are you really asking if two bodies have to be charged to be influenced by Coulombs Law?
Robert
like charges repel while unlike charges atttact
Raymond
What is specific heat capacity
Destiny Reply
Specific heat capacity is a measure of the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius (or Kelvin). It is measured in Joules per kilogram per degree Celsius (J/kg°C).
AI-Robot
specific heat capacity is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius or kelvin
ROKEEB
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Source:  OpenStax, Chemistry. OpenStax CNX. May 20, 2015 Download for free at http://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11760/1.9
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