Consider the reaction: 2 N₂O( g) → 2 N₂(g) + O₂(g) a. Express the rate of the reaction in terms of the change in concentration of each of the reactants and products.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the balanced chemical equation: 2 N_2O(g) → 2 N_2(g) + O_2(g).
2. Understand that the rate of a reaction is expressed as the change in concentration of a reactant or product per unit time.
3. For the reactant N_2O, the rate of reaction can be expressed as -\( \frac{1}{2} \frac{d[N_2O]}{dt} \), where the negative sign indicates the concentration of N_2O is decreasing.
4. For the product N_2, the rate of reaction can be expressed as \( \frac{1}{2} \frac{d[N_2]}{dt} \), where the positive sign indicates the concentration of N_2 is increasing.
5. For the product O_2, the rate of reaction can be expressed as \( \frac{d[O_2]}{dt} \), as there is no coefficient to divide by and the concentration of O_2 is increasing.

Key Concepts

Reaction Rate

The reaction rate is a measure of how quickly reactants are converted into products in a chemical reaction. It is typically expressed as the change in concentration of a reactant or product over time. For the given reaction, the rate can be defined in terms of the decrease in concentration of N2O and the increase in concentrations of N2 and O2.

Stoichiometry

Stoichiometry involves the quantitative relationships between the amounts of reactants and products in a chemical reaction, based on the balanced chemical equation. In the provided reaction, the coefficients indicate that for every 2 moles of N2O consumed, 2 moles of N2 and 1 mole of O2 are produced, which is essential for expressing the rates in terms of concentration changes.

Concentration Change

Concentration change refers to the difference in the concentration of a substance over a specified time period during a reaction. It is crucial for calculating the rate of reaction. In this case, the rate can be expressed as the negative change in concentration of N2O and the positive changes in concentrations of N2 and O2, reflecting their respective stoichiometric coefficients.