Module 3 Overview & Instructions

PRT 1220Reaction Rates and Rate Laws

Foreword

In this module, we begin our study of reaction rates and chemical kinetics. Typically, students find this subject to be rather challenging, so don't put off these assignments until the last minute. This marks the end of the material for which you will be responsible for Midterm Exam 1.

Questions and Answers

Whatever you're struggling with this week, somebody else in our section probably is struggling with it, too. Post your question on the Module 3 Q&A Board.

If you know the answer to someone's question, post it. It's almost a certainty that more people in our section than just the person who posted the question want to know the answer.

Learning Outcomes/Objectives

By the conclusion of this learning module, you should be able to:

understand what is meant by rate of reactant consumption and rate of product formation.
relate rates of reactant consumption and product formation using the coefficients of a balanced reaction.
recognize and identify factors that affect the rate of a chemical reaction.
understand and use the method of initial rates to determine the rate law for a chemical reaction.
recognize and use the integrated rate laws for first-order reactions to calculate concentrations of reactants and products as a function of time.
write balanced nuclear reactions, especially for radioactive decays.
predict the mode of decay for radionuclides (radioactive nuclei).
use the half-life equation for first-order reactions to solve problems involving radioactive decay.
recognize and use the integrated rate laws for first-order, second-order, and zeroth-order reactions to calculate concentrations of reactants and products as a function of time.