Consider the following reaction between mercury(II) chloride and oxalate ion: 2 HgCl21aq2 + C2O4 2 - 1aq2¡2 Cl - 1aq2 + 2 CO21g2 + Hg2Cl21s2 The initial rate of this reaction was determined for several concentrations of HgCl2 and C2O4 2 -, and the following rate data were obtained for the rate of disappearance of C2O4 2 - : Experiment 3HgCl2 4 1M 2 3C2o4 24 1M 2 Rate 1M,s2 1 0.164 0.15 3.2 * 10-5 2 0.164 0.45 2.9 * 10-4 3 0.082 0.45 1.4 * 10-4 4 0.246 0.15 4.8 * 10-5 (c) What is the reaction rate when the initial concentration of HgCl2 is 0.100 M and that of C2O4 2- is 0.25 M if the temperature is the same as that used to obtain the data shown?

Key Concepts

Rate of Reaction

The rate of a chemical reaction is a measure of how quickly reactants are converted into products. It can be expressed in terms of the change in concentration of a reactant or product over time. Understanding the rate is crucial for predicting how changes in concentration affect the speed of the reaction, which is essential for solving the given problem.

Rate Law

The rate law is an equation that relates the rate of a reaction to the concentration of its reactants, typically expressed as rate = k[A]^m[B]^n, where k is the rate constant, and m and n are the orders of the reaction with respect to reactants A and B. Determining the rate law from experimental data allows us to predict the reaction rate under different concentrations, which is necessary for answering the question.

Concentration and Reaction Order

Concentration refers to the amount of a substance in a given volume, and it significantly influences the rate of a reaction. The reaction order indicates how the rate is affected by the concentration of each reactant. By analyzing the provided data, one can deduce the reaction order for HgCl2 and C2O4 2-, which is essential for calculating the reaction rate at new concentrations.