The Rate and Order of a Chemical Reaction

Recommended for grades 9–12.

Introduction

A basic kinetic study of a chemical reaction often involves conducting the reaction at varying concentrations of reactants. In this way, you can determine the order of the reaction in each species, and determine a rate law expression. Once you select a reaction to examine, you must decide how to follow the reaction by measuring some parameter that changes regularly as time passes, such as temperature, pH, pressure, conductance, or absorbance of light.

In this experiment you will conduct the reaction between solutions of potassium iodide and iron (III) chloride. The reaction equation is shown below, in ionic form.

$2{\text{ }}{{\text{I}}^{{\text{ - }}}}{\text{(aq) + 2 F}}{{\text{e}}^{{\text{3 + }}}}{\text{(aq)}} \to {{\text{I}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{ (aq) + 2 F}}{{\text{e}}^{{\text{2 + }}}}{\text{(aq)}}$

As this reaction proceeds, it undergoes a color change that can be precisely measured by a Vernier Colorimeter or a Vernier Spectrometer. By carefully varying the concentrations of the reactants, you will determine the effect each reactant has on the rate of the reaction, and consequently the order of the reaction. From this information, you will write a rate law expression for the reaction.

Objectives

In this experiment, you will

Conduct the reaction of KI and FeCl₃ using various concentrations of reactants.
Determine the order of the reaction in KI and FeCl₃.
Determine the rate law expression for the reaction.

Sensors and Equipment

This experiment requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):

SpectroVis Plus (optional)
Colorimeter (optional)

Additional Requirements

You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?

Download Experiment Preview

The student-version preview includes:

Step-by-step instructions for computer-based data collection
List of materials and equipment

Note: The experiment preview of the computer edition does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. Instructions for Logger Pro and other software (such as LabQuest App or TI handheld software, where available) are on the CD that accompanies the book. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book before performing experiments.

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Standards Correlations

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