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Rate Law Determination of Everyday Processes

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Michael J. Sanger , Russell A. Wiley Jr. and Erwin W. Richter

Department of Chemistry, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0423

Amy J. Phelps

Department of Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132

J. Chem. Educ., 2002, 79 (8), p 989

DOI: 10.1021/ed079p989

Publication Date (Web): August 1, 2002

Abstract

In this experiment, students determined whether burning a birthday candle and flipping pennies are consistent with zero-, first-, or second-order rate laws. Students collected time-dependent data for the candle's mass or the number of pennies remaining (amount) and plotted curves of amount versus time, ln(amount) versus time, and amount⁻¹ versus time. The linear plot of mass versus time indicates the candle experiment is consistent with a zero-order rate law, while the linear plot of ln(pennies) versus time indicates the penny experiment is consistent with a first-order rate law. Numerical values for the rate constants were determined from the slopes of the linear plots.

Keywords (Audience):

High School / Introductory Chemistry

Keywords (Domain):

Laboratory Instruction

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Hands-On Learning / Manipulatives

Keywords (Subject):

Kinetics

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