Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
A reaction has a rate constant of 1.21×10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ at 25 °C and 0.225 s⁻¹ at 75 °C. What is the value of the rate constant at 17 °C when the activation energy (Ea) is 130 kJ/mol? Express your answer in units of inverse seconds (s⁻¹) and with 3 significant figures.
A
8.50×10⁻⁵ s⁻¹
B
1.50×10⁻⁴ s⁻¹
C
2.00×10⁻⁴ s⁻¹
D
5.00×10⁻⁵ s⁻¹
Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the Arrhenius equation: \( k = A e^{-\frac{E_a}{RT}} \), where \( k \) is the rate constant, \( A \) is the pre-exponential factor, \( E_a \) is the activation energy, \( R \) is the gas constant (8.314 J/mol·K), and \( T \) is the temperature in Kelvin.
Use the Arrhenius equation in its logarithmic form to compare the rate constants at two different temperatures: \( \ln\left(\frac{k_2}{k_1}\right) = \frac{E_a}{R} \left(\frac{1}{T_1} - \frac{1}{T_2}\right) \). Here, \( k_1 = 1.21 \times 10^{-4} \) s⁻¹ at \( T_1 = 25 \degree C \) and \( k_2 = 0.225 \) s⁻¹ at \( T_2 = 75 \degree C \).
Convert the temperatures from Celsius to Kelvin by adding 273.15: \( T_1 = 25 + 273.15 = 298.15 \) K and \( T_2 = 75 + 273.15 = 348.15 \) K.
Calculate \( \ln\left(\frac{k_2}{k_1}\right) \) using the given rate constants and the activation energy \( E_a = 130 \) kJ/mol (convert to J/mol by multiplying by 1000).
Use the calculated \( \ln\left(\frac{k_2}{k_1}\right) \) to find the rate constant \( k_3 \) at \( T_3 = 17 \degree C \) (convert to Kelvin: \( T_3 = 17 + 273.15 = 290.15 \) K) using the rearranged Arrhenius equation: \( \ln\left(\frac{k_3}{k_1}\right) = \frac{E_a}{R} \left(\frac{1}{T_1} - \frac{1}{T_3}\right) \).