Textbook Question
(b) What is the difference between a unimolecular and a bimolecular elementary reaction?
Ch.14 - Chemical Kinetics
Chapter 14, Problem 67b
What is the molecularity of each of the following elementary reactions? Write the rate law for each. (b) OCl-(aq + H2O(l) → HOCl(aq) + OH-(aq)
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Determine the molecularity of the reaction by counting the number of reactant species involved in the elementary reaction.
In this reaction, identify the reactants: OCl^- (aq) and H2O (l).
Since there are two reactant species, the molecularity of the reaction is bimolecular.
For an elementary reaction, the rate law can be written directly from the molecularity.
The rate law for this bimolecular reaction is: rate = k[OCl^-][H2O], where k is the rate constant.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Molecularity
Molecularity refers to the number of reactant molecules involved in an elementary reaction. It can be classified as unimolecular (one molecule), bimolecular (two molecules), or termolecular (three molecules). Understanding molecularity is crucial for determining the rate law of a reaction, as it directly influences how the concentration of reactants affects the reaction rate.
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Molecular Polarity
Rate Law
The rate law expresses the relationship between the rate of a chemical reaction and the concentration of its reactants. It is typically formulated as rate = k[A]^m[B]^n, where k is the rate constant, and m and n are the orders of the reaction with respect to reactants A and B. For elementary reactions, the rate law can be directly derived from the stoichiometry of the reaction.
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01:52Rate Law Fundamentals
Elementary Reaction
An elementary reaction is a single step process in a chemical reaction mechanism where reactants are converted to products in a single transition state. The molecularity of an elementary reaction is equal to its order, making it straightforward to write the rate law. Understanding elementary reactions is essential for analyzing complex reaction mechanisms and predicting reaction behavior.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
What is the molecularity of each of the following elementary reactions? Write the rate law for each. (a) Cl2(g) → 2 Cl(g)
Textbook Question
What is the molecularity of each of the following elementary reactions? Write the rate law for each. (c) NO(g) + Cl2(g) → NOCl2(g)
Textbook Question
What is the molecularity of each of the following elementary reactions? Write the rate law for each.
(a) 2 NO(g) → N2O2(g)
(c) SO3(g) → SO2(g) + O(g)
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Textbook Question
What is the molecularity of each of the following elementary reactions? Write the rate law for each. (b)