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Rates of Reaction

Concentration–time graphs and half-lives

  • 3 things to know
  • Unit A2 1

Overview

Half-life of a reaction and property of the half-life that identifies a first order reaction.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Describe how the rate of reaction is obtained from a concentration–time graph.

Key term

Describe the shape of a concentration–time graph for a reactant in a zero order reaction.

Key term

What does the gradient of a zero order concentration–time graph represent?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Describe how the rate of reaction is obtained from a concentration–time graph.

    Model answer

    A tangent is constructed at the chosen time and its gradient gives the rate at that instant.

  2. 2

    Describe the shape of a concentration–time graph for a reactant in a zero order reaction.

    Model answer

    The graph is a straight line of constant negative gradient until the reactant runs out.

  3. 3

    What does the gradient of a zero order concentration–time graph represent?

    Model answer

    The magnitude of the gradient is the rate constant itself, because the rate does not depend on concentration.

  4. 4

    Describe the shape of a concentration–time graph for a reactant in a first order reaction.

    Model answer

    The graph is a curve of steadily decreasing steepness that approaches the time axis without ever meeting it.

  5. 5

    Define the half-life of a reaction.

    Model answer

    The half-life is the time taken for the concentration of a reactant to fall to half of its value at the start of that interval.

  6. 6

    State the property of the half-life that identifies a first order reaction.

    Model answer

    A first order reaction has a constant half-life, so successive halvings of concentration take equal times.

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