IB chemistry Rate law

Example 1: reaction between bromine and methanoic acid which is catalysed by an acid.

H+
Br2 (aq) + HCOOH (aq)
2Br- (aq) + 2H+ (aq) + CO2 (g)

The rate of the reaction was followed in terms of the decrease in the [Br2(aq)] using a colorimeter. The
methanoic acid was in excess. The results are shown in the table below.

1. Plot the concentration of bromine against time.

Time (s) [Br2(aq)] 2. How does the concentration change over time?
(x 10-4 mol dm-3) 3. How does the reaction rate change over time?
0 100 4. Is the rate of reaction affected by the bromine concentration?
30 90
60 81 The rate of the reaction at any given moment in time the
90 73 instantaneous rate can be obtained by drawing a tangent to the
120 66 curve at that particular moment in time.
180 53
240 44 5. Draw tangents to calculate the rate of reaction at 120s
360 28 and 360s using the expression below.
480 20
600 13

The rate of this reaction is calculated by [Br2(aq)] (rise)

= (in mol dm-3 s-1)
t (run)

The table below shows the calculated reaction rate in terms of bromine concentrations at different times.

1. Plot reaction rate against bromine

Time (s) [Br2(aq)] Reaction rate concentration.
(x 10-4 mol dm-3) (x 10-5 mol dm-3 s-1) 2. How does the rate of reaction depend on the
50 85 2.9 bromine concentration?
100 72 2.4 3. Write a mathematical expression relating
200 50 1.7 reaction rate to bromine concentration.
250 42 1.5 4. Write the above expression using an equal
300 35 1.2 sign
400 24 0.8
500 17 0.6 The effect the concentration of bromine has on the
rate of reaction is referred to as first order.
This reaction is first order with respect to bromine.

A first order reaction or reactant shows the following graphs: [ ] v time (left) and rate v concentration (right).
Example 2: reaction between hydrogen and nitrogen monoxide

The equation of the reaction is:

2H2 (aq) + 2NO (g)

2H2O (g) + N2 (g)

The order with respect to reactants in a reaction can also be determined by using a discontinuous method.
For the reaction above, experiments were carried out in which either the concentration of hydrogen or the
concentration of nitrogen monoxide is changed and the rate of reaction is measured in terms of nitrogen.
The results are in the table below.

Experiment number Initial concentration NO Initial concentration H2 Initial rate of production of

(mol dm-3) (mol dm-3 ) nitrogen (mol dm-3 s-1)
1 6 x 10-3 1 x 10-3 3 x 10-3
2 6 x 10-3 2 x 10-3 6 x 10-3
3 6 x 10-3 3 x 10-3 9 x 10-3
4 1 x 10-3 6 x 10-3 0.5 x 10-3
5 2 x 10-3 6 x 10-3 2.0 x 10-3
6 3 x 10-3 6 x 10-3 4.5 x 10-3

1. What happens to the initial rate, when the initial concentration of hydrogen is doubled in experiment 2
compared with experiment 1?

2. What happens to the initial rate, when the initial concentration of hydrogen is trebled in experiment 3
compared with experiment 1?

3. How does the reaction rate depend on [H2]?

4. What is the order of reaction with respect to hydrogen?

5. What happens to the initial rate, when the initial concentration of nitrogen monoxide is doubled in
experiment 5 compared with experiment 4?

6. What happens to the initial rate, when the initial concentration of nitrogen monoxide is trebled in
experiment 6 compared with experiment 2?

7. How does the reaction rate depend on [NO]?

8. What is the order of reaction with respect to nitrogen monoxide?

9. What is the rate law for this reaction?

10. Calculate the value of k?

11. What is the unit of k?

A second order reaction or reactant shows the following graphs: [ ] v time (left) and rate v concentration
(right).