define rate constant of a reaction and derive an expression for the rate constant of first order reaction
Answers
A reaction is said to be first order if its rate is determined by the change of one concentration term only.
One can say that a first order reaction is one whose rate varies as 1st power of the concentration of the reactant i.e. the rate increases as number of times as the number of times the concentration of reactant is increased.
Consider the reaction
A → products
Let
[A]O = Initaial Concentration of A
[A]t = The concentration of A after time t
For the reaction to be of first order..
Rate = -\frac{d[A]]}{dt} = k[A]
\Rightarrow \frac{d[A]}{[A]} =-kdt...(i)
Intigrating this equation
\int_{[A]_o}^{[A]} \frac{d[A]}{[A]} =-k\int_{0}^{t}dt
we get
ln [A] - ln[A]o = -K(t-0)
ln\frac{[A]}{[A]_o} = -kt
\Rightarrow ln\frac{[A]_o}{[A]} = kt…...... (ii)
\Rightarrow log\frac{[A]_o}{[A]} = \frac{kt}{2.303}...(iii)
\Rightarrow k= \frac{1}{t}ln\frac{[A]_o}{[A]}....(iv)
On comparing the equation number (ii) with equation of straight line i.e. y=mx+c we come to know that , If we plot a graph between log [A]o/[A] vs t, the slope of line= k/2.303
First Order Reactions