Differential vs integrated

[Jasmine Botello 2F]

What’s the significant difference between differential and integrated and when do you use either of the equations?

[Susie Lee 2I]

Differential rate law talks about the overall rate, how long it takes from the beginning (reactants) fully to the end (products). It also tells us how influential or impactful the concentration is to the rate. Integrated rate law discusses how many reactants in the beginning versus a particular moment in time. Therefore, this law utilizes time and can find concentration of reactant at a specific moment in time.

[Jeremiah Samaniego 2C]

Differential rate law is a function of change in concentration whereas integrated rate law is a function of time.

One way to see the two rate laws is that differential rate law describes the mechanism of a reaction whereas integrated rate law relates the initial concentration to a measured concentration after a certain time.