Kinetics Plots

[Jake Gordon 1A]

I remember that the three plots vs time that we are working with are [A], 1/[A], and ln[A] but what does it mean if we get a straight line for each individual graph?

[Nicklas_Wright_1A]

A straight line for ln(A) means the reaction is first order. For 1/A it means the reaction is second order. For A it means the reaction is zero order.

[Tameen Ahmed 4C]

If it's a straight line with a negative slope then it can be zero order or first order. If the graph displays [A] vs. time with a negative slope then it's zero order and if the graph displays ln[A] vs time with a negative slope then it's a first order reaction.

A second order reaction would be plotted as 1/[A] vs. time with a positive slope.

[Athena L 1B]

If you plot any of those graphs but get a curve, you know you have the wrong order reaction

[Henry Dudley 1G]

If the line is straight for a graph, then the reaction is that order. For instance if the data points give you a straight line for lnA on the y-axis and t on the x-axis, you know you have a first order reaction.

[105169446]

But if you have a plot of [reactant] vs time for a first order reaction then in that case you'll get an exponential curve which is decreasing.