Alright class, welcome to a deep dive into one of the most fundamental concepts in Chemical Kinetics:
Integrated Rate Expressions for Zero and First Order Reactions. This is where we learn how to predict *how much* reactant is left, or *how long* it will take for a reaction to reach a certain point. It's incredibly powerful, and a cornerstone for both your CBSE/ICSE boards and especially for JEE.
### Introduction to Integrated Rate Laws
So far, we've talked about
differential rate laws, which describe how the rate of reaction depends on the instantaneous concentration of reactants. For example, for a reaction A $
ightarrow$ Products, a differential rate law might be:
$$ ext{Rate} = -frac{d[ ext{A}]}{dt} = k[ ext{A}]^n $$
where 'n' is the order of the reaction.
While differential rate laws tell us the *instantaneous* rate, they don't directly tell us the concentration of reactants or products at a specific time *t*. This is where
integrated rate laws come into play. By integrating the differential rate equations, we can obtain expressions that relate concentration to time. These are invaluable for:
- Determining the concentration of a reactant at any given time.
- Calculating the time required for a reaction to complete a certain fraction.
- Finding the rate constant (k) from experimental data.
- Understanding the half-life of a reaction.
Let's begin by deriving and understanding the integrated rate laws for the simplest cases: zero-order and first-order reactions.
---
### 1. Zero-Order Reactions
A
zero-order reaction is a reaction whose rate is independent of the concentration of the reactant(s). This means that even if you double or triple the amount of reactant, the rate at which it reacts remains the same.
#### a) Differential Rate Law for a Zero-Order Reaction
For a general reaction: A $
ightarrow$ Products
The differential rate law for a zero-order reaction with respect to A is:
$$ ext{Rate} = -frac{d[ ext{A}]}{dt} = k[ ext{A}]^0 $$
Since any non-zero number raised to the power of zero is 1, this simplifies to:
$$ -frac{d[ ext{A}]}{dt} = k $$
Here,
k is the
rate constant for the zero-order reaction.
#### b) Derivation of the Integrated Rate Law
To find the integrated rate law, we separate the variables and integrate the differential rate law.
$$ -frac{d[ ext{A}]}{dt} = k $$
Rearranging, we get:
$$ d[ ext{A}] = -k , dt $$
Now, we integrate both sides. Let the initial concentration of A at time t=0 be $[A]_0$, and the concentration of A at any time t be $[A]_t$.
$$ int_{[A]_0}^{[A]_t} d[ ext{A}] = int_{0}^{t} -k , dt $$
$$ [ ext{A}]_t - [ ext{A}]_0 = -k(t - 0) $$
$$ [ ext{A}]_t - [ ext{A}]_0 = -kt $$
This gives us the
integrated rate law for a zero-order reaction:
$$ oxed{[ ext{A}]_t = -kt + [ ext{A}]_0} $$
This equation is in the form of a straight line, $y = mx + c$.
Here:
- $[ ext{A}]_t$ is the concentration of reactant A at time t.
- $[ ext{A}]_0$ is the initial concentration of reactant A at time t=0.
- $k$ is the rate constant.
- $t$ is the time elapsed.
#### c) Graphical Representation
If we plot $[ ext{A}]_t$ on the y-axis against $t$ on the x-axis, we will get a straight line:
- The slope of the line will be $-k$.
- The y-intercept will be $[ ext{A}]_0$.
This is a key method to experimentally determine if a reaction is zero-order and to find its rate constant.
#### d) Units of Rate Constant (k) for Zero-Order Reaction
From the equation $-frac{d[ ext{A}]}{dt} = k$:
$$ k = frac{ ext{Concentration}}{ ext{Time}} $$
Therefore, the units of k for a zero-order reaction are typically
$mathbf{mol , L^{-1} s^{-1}}$ or
$mathbf{M , s^{-1}}$.
#### e) Half-Life ($t_{1/2}$) for a Zero-Order Reaction
The
half-life ($t_{1/2}$) is the time required for the concentration of a reactant to decrease to one-half of its initial value.
At $t = t_{1/2}$, the concentration $[ ext{A}]_t = [ ext{A}]_0 / 2$.
Substitute this into the integrated rate law:
$$ frac{[ ext{A}]_0}{2} = -kt_{1/2} + [ ext{A}]_0 $$
Rearranging to solve for $t_{1/2}$:
$$ kt_{1/2} = [ ext{A}]_0 - frac{[ ext{A}]_0}{2} $$
$$ kt_{1/2} = frac{[ ext{A}]_0}{2} $$
$$ oxed{t_{1/2} = frac{[ ext{A}]_0}{2k}} $$
JEE Focus: Notice that for a zero-order reaction, the half-life is directly proportional to the initial concentration of the reactant. This means that if you start with more reactant, it will take *longer* to reach half the amount, which is counter-intuitive for many students but a critical point to remember!
#### f) Examples of Zero-Order Reactions
Zero-order reactions are less common than first-order but do occur under specific conditions:
- Decomposition of ammonia (NH$_3$) on a hot platinum surface:
$$ 2 ext{NH}_3(g) xrightarrow{ ext{Pt catalyst, high T}} ext{N}_2(g) + 3 ext{H}_2(g) $$
Here, the platinum surface gets saturated with NH$_3$ molecules. Once saturated, increasing NH$_3$ concentration in the gas phase doesn't increase the number of NH$_3$ molecules reacting per unit time on the surface, making the rate independent of [NH$_3$].
- Enzyme-catalyzed reactions at high substrate concentrations:
When the concentration of the substrate is very high, all active sites of the enzyme become saturated. The rate of reaction then depends only on the concentration of the enzyme, not on the substrate, making it zero-order with respect to the substrate.
---
### 2. First-Order Reactions
A
first-order reaction is a reaction whose rate depends on the concentration of one reactant raised to the power of one.
#### a) Differential Rate Law for a First-Order Reaction
For a general reaction: A $
ightarrow$ Products
The differential rate law for a first-order reaction with respect to A is:
$$ ext{Rate} = -frac{d[ ext{A}]}{dt} = k[ ext{A}]^1 $$
Or simply:
$$ -frac{d[ ext{A}]}{dt} = k[ ext{A}] $$
Here,
k is the
rate constant for the first-order reaction.
#### b) Derivation of the Integrated Rate Law
Again, we separate variables and integrate.
$$ -frac{d[ ext{A}]}{dt} = k[ ext{A}] $$
Rearranging:
$$ frac{d[ ext{A}]}{[ ext{A}]} = -k , dt $$
Integrate both sides from $t=0$ to $t=t$, with corresponding concentrations $[ ext{A}]_0$ to $[ ext{A}]_t$:
$$ int_{[A]_0}^{[A]_t} frac{d[ ext{A}]}{[ ext{A}]} = int_{0}^{t} -k , dt $$
Recall that $int frac{1}{x} dx = ln|x|$. So:
$$ [ln[ ext{A}]]_{[A]_0}^{[A]_t} = -k[t]_{0}^{t} $$
$$ ln[ ext{A}]_t - ln[ ext{A}]_0 = -k(t - 0) $$
This gives us the
integrated rate law for a first-order reaction in its natural logarithm form:
$$ oxed{ln[ ext{A}]_t - ln[ ext{A}]_0 = -kt} $$
This can be rearranged in a few useful ways:
1. $$ lnleft(frac{[ ext{A}]_t}{[ ext{A}]_0}
ight) = -kt $$
2. Taking the exponential of both sides:
$$ frac{[ ext{A}]_t}{[ ext{A}]_0} = e^{-kt} $$
$$ oxed{[ ext{A}]_t = [ ext{A}]_0 e^{-kt}} $$
This form directly shows the exponential decay of the reactant.
For easier graphical representation and calculations (especially without natural log calculators), we often convert the natural logarithm to base-10 logarithm using the relationship $ln x = 2.303 log x$:
$$ 2.303 log[ ext{A}]_t - 2.303 log[ ext{A}]_0 = -kt $$
$$ log[ ext{A}]_t - log[ ext{A}]_0 = -frac{kt}{2.303} $$
$$ oxed{log[ ext{A}]_t = -left(frac{k}{2.303}
ight)t + log[ ext{A}]_0} $$
Here:
- $ln$ is the natural logarithm (base $e$).
- $log$ is the base-10 logarithm.
- All other terms are the same as defined for zero-order reactions.
#### c) Graphical Representation
For a first-order reaction, we have two common linear plots:
1.
Plot of $ln[ ext{A}]_t$ vs $t$:
From $ln[ ext{A}]_t = -kt + ln[ ext{A}]_0$, a plot of $ln[ ext{A}]_t$ (y-axis) against $t$ (x-axis) will yield a straight line.
- The slope will be $-k$.
- The y-intercept will be $ln[ ext{A}]_0$.
2.
Plot of $log[ ext{A}]_t$ vs $t$:
From $log[ ext{A}]_t = -left(frac{k}{2.303}
ight)t + log[ ext{A}]_0$, a plot of $log[ ext{A}]_t$ (y-axis) against $t$ (x-axis) will also yield a straight line.
- The slope will be $-frac{k}{2.303}$.
- The y-intercept will be $log[ ext{A}]_0$.
Both plots are extremely useful for experimentally determining the rate constant 'k' and confirming if a reaction is first-order.
#### d) Units of Rate Constant (k) for First-Order Reaction
From the equation $-frac{d[ ext{A}]}{dt} = k[ ext{A}]$:
$$ k = frac{-frac{d[ ext{A}]}{dt}}{[ ext{A}]} = frac{ ext{Concentration/Time}}{ ext{Concentration}} = frac{1}{ ext{Time}} $$
Therefore, the units of k for a first-order reaction are typically
$mathbf{s^{-1}}$ or
$mathbf{min^{-1}}$ or
$mathbf{hr^{-1}}$.
#### e) Half-Life ($t_{1/2}$) for a First-Order Reaction
At $t = t_{1/2}$, the concentration $[ ext{A}]_t = [ ext{A}]_0 / 2$.
Using the integrated rate law $lnleft(frac{[ ext{A}]_t}{[ ext{A}]_0}
ight) = -kt$:
$$ lnleft(frac{[ ext{A}]_0/2}{[ ext{A}]_0}
ight) = -kt_{1/2} $$
$$ lnleft(frac{1}{2}
ight) = -kt_{1/2} $$
$$ -ln(2) = -kt_{1/2} $$
$$ kt_{1/2} = ln(2) $$
$$ oxed{t_{1/2} = frac{ln(2)}{k}} $$
Since $ln(2) approx 0.693$:
$$ oxed{t_{1/2} = frac{0.693}{k}} $$
JEE Focus: This is a critically important result! For a first-order reaction, the half-life is
constant and does not depend on the initial concentration of the reactant. This is a distinguishing feature of first-order kinetics. This means if a reaction takes 10 minutes to go from 100 M to 50 M, it will also take 10 minutes to go from 50 M to 25 M, and so on.
#### f) Examples of First-Order Reactions
First-order reactions are very common:
- Radioactive decay: All natural and artificial radioactive decays follow first-order kinetics.
$$ ^{14} ext{C}
ightarrow ^{14} ext{N} + eta^- $$
- Hydrolysis of esters in acidic medium:
$$ ext{CH}_3 ext{COOC}_2 ext{H}_5(aq) + ext{H}_2 ext{O}(l) xrightarrow{ ext{H}^+(aq)} ext{CH}_3 ext{COOH}(aq) + ext{C}_2 ext{H}_5 ext{OH}(aq) $$
(Note: If water is in large excess, its concentration remains essentially constant, making it a pseudo-first-order reaction).
- Decomposition of dinitrogen pentoxide (N$_2$O$_5$):
$$ 2 ext{N}_2 ext{O}_5(g)
ightarrow 4 ext{NO}_2(g) + ext{O}_2(g) $$
This is a classic example studied extensively.
- Inversion of cane sugar:
$$ ext{C}_{12} ext{H}_{22} ext{O}_{11} + ext{H}_2 ext{O} xrightarrow{ ext{H}^+} ext{C}_6 ext{H}_{12} ext{O}_6 + ext{C}_6 ext{H}_{12} ext{O}_6 $$
(Again, water in excess makes it pseudo-first-order).
---
### Comparison Summary: Zero vs. First Order Reactions
Let's put together the key features for a quick comparison, which is very helpful for exam questions.
Feature |
Zero-Order Reaction |
First-Order Reaction |
|---|
Differential Rate Law |
Rate = $k$ |
Rate = $k[ ext{A}]$ |
Integrated Rate Law |
$[ ext{A}]_t = -kt + [ ext{A}]_0$ |
$ln[ ext{A}]_t = -kt + ln[ ext{A}]_0$ or $log[ ext{A}]_t = -frac{k}{2.303}t + log[ ext{A}]_0$ |
Linear Plot for k |
$[ ext{A}]_t$ vs $t$ |
$ln[ ext{A}]_t$ vs $t$ (or $log[ ext{A}]_t$ vs $t$) |
Slope of Linear Plot |
$-k$ |
$-k$ (or $-frac{k}{2.303}$) |
Units of Rate Constant (k) |
$ ext{mol L}^{-1} ext{s}^{-1}$ (or $ ext{M s}^{-1}$) |
$ ext{s}^{-1}$ (or $ ext{time}^{-1}$) |
Half-Life ($t_{1/2}$) |
$t_{1/2} = frac{[ ext{A}]_0}{2k}$ |
$t_{1/2} = frac{0.693}{k}$ |
Dependence of $t_{1/2}$ on $[ ext{A}]_0$ |
Depends (proportional to $[ ext{A}]_0$) |
Independent of $[ ext{A}]_0$ |
---
### Advanced Considerations and JEE Relevance
1.
Gas Phase Reactions: For reactions involving gases, concentration can be expressed in terms of partial pressures. Since for an ideal gas, $P = (n/V)RT = CRT$ (where C is molar concentration), $P propto C$. Thus, for gas-phase reactions, you can replace concentrations with partial pressures in the integrated rate laws. For example, for a first-order gas-phase reaction A $
ightarrow$ Products:
$$ ln(P_A)_t = -kt + ln(P_A)_0 $$
where $(P_A)_t$ is the partial pressure of A at time $t$, and $(P_A)_0$ is the initial partial pressure.
2.
Fraction of Reaction Completed:
* If $x$ is the fraction reacted, then $[ ext{A}]_t = [ ext{A}]_0 (1-x)$.
* Substitute this into the integrated rate laws. For first order:
$$ lnleft(frac{[ ext{A}]_0(1-x)}{[ ext{A}]_0}
ight) = -kt implies ln(1-x) = -kt $$
This form is very useful for problems involving percentage completion.
3.
Determining Reaction Order from Data (JEE Trick):
*
Method of initial rates: Used with differential rate laws.
*
Graphical method: Plot $[ ext{A}]$ vs $t$, $ln[ ext{A}]$ vs $t$, and $1/[ ext{A}]$ vs $t$. The plot that yields a straight line indicates the order (linear for zero, $ln[ ext{A}]$ for first, $1/[ ext{A}]$ for second).
*
Half-life method: If half-life changes with initial concentration, it's not first order. If it's constant, it's first order. If $t_{1/2} propto [ ext{A}]_0$, it's zero order.
This detailed understanding of integrated rate laws for zero and first-order reactions, including their derivations, graphical representations, and the unique properties of their half-lives, is absolutely critical for excelling in Chemical Kinetics. Master these equations and their applications, and you'll be well-prepared for any problem that comes your way!