Rate Equations, Order of Reaction and the Arrhenius Equation
Students will explore how particles need to collide with sufficient energy for a reaction to occur, linking this to reaction speed.
Key Questions
- Determine the order of reaction with respect to each reactant from concentration–time graphs or initial-rate experiments, and calculate the rate constant including its units for a given rate equation.
- Distinguish between the rate-determining step and subsequent fast steps in a proposed reaction mechanism, assessing whether the mechanism is consistent with the experimentally determined rate equation.
- Analyse a Maxwell–Boltzmann energy distribution to explain why a 10 °C rise approximately doubles the rate for many reactions near room temperature, quantifying the argument using the Arrhenius equation.
MOE Syllabus Outcomes
Suggested Methodologies
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