Consider this second-order reaction: (A B C and rate = k[A]2). What will happen to the reaction rate if the concentration of A is doubled?
Answer:
The reaction rate will be multiplied by four.
Explanation:
The reaction rate is the measure of how fast a reaction is happening, and it can be calculated by how fast the reactants are disappearing, or how fast the products are being formed.
For a generic reaction:
A → B + C
The rate (r) is:
-r = k[A]ⁿ
The minus signal refers to the disappearing of the reactant, k is the velocity constant of the reaction, and n is the reaction order. So, for a second-order reaction:
-r = k[A]²
If the concentration of A is doubled: [A]' = 2[A]
-r' = k(2[A])²
-r' = k4[A]
-r' = 4k[A]
-r' = 4(-r)