Example 2:
The gaseous phase decomposition of dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and oxygen (O2) is given by,
For the reaction the concentration of O2 was monitored and the following data were obtained.
| Time/s | 0 | 600 | 1200 | 1800 | 3000 | 4200 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [O2] M | 0 | 0.002 | 0.004 | 0.005 | 0.006 | 0.0072 |
Calculate the average rate of reaction.
Suggested answer:
The average rate of reaction is calculated by determining the difference in [O2] concentration over different intervals of time and dividing the difference by Dt,
From the example, it is obvious that the average rate of reaction decreases with time. Within the time interval of 0 to 3000s, the average rate of the reaction falls by a factor of four.
