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Ch.14 - Chemical Kinetics
Chapter 14, Problem 44a

The first-order rate constant for the decomposition of N2O5, 2 N2O51g2¡4 NO21g2 + O21g2, a t 70 C i s 6.82 * 10-3 s-1. Suppose we start with 0.0250 mol of N2O51g2 in a volume of 2.0 L. (a) How many moles of N2O5 will remain after 5.0 min?

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

First-Order Kinetics

First-order kinetics refers to a reaction rate that is directly proportional to the concentration of one reactant. In this case, the decomposition of N2O5 follows first-order kinetics, meaning the rate of reaction can be expressed as rate = k[N2O5], where k is the rate constant. This relationship allows us to use the integrated rate law to calculate the concentration of N2O5 over time.
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First-Order Reactions

Integrated Rate Law

The integrated rate law for a first-order reaction is given by the equation ln([A]0/[A]) = kt, where [A]0 is the initial concentration, [A] is the concentration at time t, k is the rate constant, and t is time. This equation allows us to determine the concentration of a reactant at any given time, which is essential for solving the problem of how many moles of N2O5 remain after a specified duration.
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Rate Law Fundamentals

Molarity and Moles

Molarity (M) is defined as the number of moles of solute per liter of solution. To find the remaining moles of N2O5 after a certain time, we first need to calculate the initial molarity using the initial moles and volume. Understanding the relationship between moles, volume, and molarity is crucial for converting between these units and applying the integrated rate law effectively.
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