Consider an elementary reaction: If the volume of the reaction mixture is suddenly reduced to of its initial volume, the reaction rate will become times of the original reaction rate. The value of is:
- A
- B
- C
- D
Consider an elementary reaction: If the volume of the reaction mixture is suddenly reduced to of its initial volume, the reaction rate will become times of the original reaction rate. The value of is:
Correct answer:B
Standard Method
Given: The elementary reaction is and the volume is reduced to of its initial value.
Find: The factor by which the reaction rate changes.
For an elementary reaction, the rate law is determined directly from the stoichiometric coefficients of the reactants:
When the volume is reduced to of the initial volume, the concentration of each gaseous reactant becomes times its original value because concentration is inversely proportional to volume.
So the new rate is
while the original rate is
Therefore,
Hence, the reaction rate becomes times the original rate. The correct option is B.
Stepwise Ratio Method
Given: is an elementary reaction.
Find: The value of when the volume becomes of the initial volume.
Since the reaction is elementary, the rate law is
After volume reduction, the new concentrations become
Therefore, the new rate is
Taking the ratio,
So, and the correct option is B.
Using only one concentration factor of and concluding the rate becomes times. This is wrong because both and increase by a factor of . Multiply both factors to get .
Assuming the rate law must be guessed separately from experiment. This is wrong here because the reaction is explicitly stated to be elementary, so the stoichiometric coefficients directly give .
Thinking the rate decreases because the volume decreases to . This is wrong because decreasing volume increases concentration for gases. Higher reactant concentrations increase the rate in this second-order elementary reaction.
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