Assessment Objectives

Detailed Breakdown: Kinetics

• Define reaction rate, order of reaction, rate-determining step, and activation energy.
• Use a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution curve to explain the effects of temperature and catalysts on reaction rate.
• Deduce the rate law and the value/units of the rate constant ($k$) from initial rate data tables.
• Determine the order of reaction graphically (concentration vs time or rate vs concentration).
• Use the Arrhenius equation to calculate activation energy ($E_a$) from rate constants at different temperatures.
• Propose a multi-step reaction mechanism that is consistent with an experimentally determined rate law.
• Distinguish between molecularity and order of reaction.
• Critique experimental methods for measuring reaction rates (e.g. gas collection vs change in mass).