Question

A possible reaction for the degradation of the pesticide DDT to a less harmful compound was simulated in the laboratory. The reaction was found to be first-order, with at . What is the half-life for the degradation of DDT in this experiment, in years?

Answer 1

This exercise is incomplete, missing the value of k (decay constant), which is equal to 4x10⁻⁸s⁻¹ at 25°C

The answer is 0.549 years

Step-by-step explanation:

Given:

first order of reaction

k = 4x10⁻⁸s⁻¹

For a first order of reaction, the half-life time for the degradation of DDT is equal to:

`t=(0.693)/(k) =(0.693)/(4x10^(-8) ) =17325000s=0.549years`