Question

Observe the graph in the given figure and answer the following questions:

(a) Predict the order of reaction.
(b) What is the slope of the curve?

Hint:

For a first-order reaction, the plot of \( \log |R_0| \) versus time yields a straight line with a slope of \( -k \).

Answer 1

(a) Predict the Order of Reaction

A linear relationship observed between log |R₀| and time indicates a first-order reaction.

In a first-order reaction, reactant concentration diminishes exponentially with time, adhering to the equation:

\[ \ln [R] = \ln [R_0] - kt \]

Taking the base-10 logarithm of both sides yields a linear equation, confirming that a plot of \(\log [R]\) against time will be a straight line.

(b) What is the Slope of the Curve?

For a first-order reaction, the slope of the \(\log [R]\) versus time graph corresponds to \(-k\), where \(k\) represents the rate constant.

Therefore, the slope \(m\) of the graph is given by:

\[ \text{slope} = -k \]