Order of Reaction

[Charisse Vu 1H]

How do you determine if a reaction is zero, first, or second order? Is there a way to tell without looking at a graph?

[Nathan Rothschild_2D]

The way to tell if a reaction is a zero order reaction is when the rate is unaffected by the concentration of the reactants. First order reactions rate changes linearly based on 1 reactant concentration.

[smurphy1D]

By looking at the rate law, a 0 order equation with be the simplest looking [A]= -kt + [A]. The first order equation always has ln before [A] so , ln[A]= -kt + ln[A]. Finally 2nd order has [A] in a fraction over 1, so 1/[A]= kt + 1/[A].

[Asha Agarwal 1E]

Yes, by comparing equations with rates and concentrations for different experiments as we did in class you can find the exponents for the differential rate laws and the exponent directly corresponds to the order of the reaction.