Question

The reaction (CH₃)₃CBr + OH⁻ → (CH₃)₃COH + Br⁻ in a certain solvent is first order with respect to (CH₃)₃CBr and zero order with respect to OH⁻. In several experiments, the rate constant k was determined at different temperatures. A plot of ln(k) versus 1/T was constructed resulting in a straight line with a slope value of –1.10 × 10⁴ K and y-intercept of 33.5. Assume k has units of s⁻¹. a. Determine the activation energy for this reaction.

Answer 1

The activation energy for the given reaction is -9.14 × 10⁴ J/mol.

Step-by-step explanation:

The activation energy for a reaction can be determined from the slope of the Arrhenius plot, which is a plot of the natural logarithm of the rate constant (ln(k)) versus the reciprocal of the temperature (1/T). In this case, the slope of the plot is given as -1.10 × 10⁴ K. The activation energy (Ea) can be calculated using the equation: Ea = -(slope * R), where R is the gas constant (8.314 J/(mol·K)). Using the given slope value, the activation energy can be calculated as: Ea = -(1.10 × 10⁴ K * 8.314 J/(mol·K)) = -9.14 × 10⁴ J/mol.

Learn more about Activation Energy