Essay example --

The goal of this experiment is to figure out the order of reaction for hydrogen peroxide and potassium iodide, and to determine the energy of activation. To do this experiment each solution is changed to different concentrations for each trial of the experiment; changing the concentration of KI and H2O2, will give the order of reaction. After finishing the experiment it found that the order of reaction was, rate= k[H2O2]2[KI]1, and the average rate constant k, was 4.8Â ·10-5. From the first and final experiment with a change in temperature, it was found that the energy of activation was .0002228152. The final results were that potassium iodide was a catalyst for the reaction and that its parts were close to the same after the reaction was over. Introduction H2O2 or hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing agent that is used in many places like in sewage plants to destroy bacteria, and also in peoples homes and daily life as a disinfectant. Hydrogen Peroxide is stable, but it will slowly decompose over a long period of time. When put on an open cut, hydrogen peroxide has a very fast decomposition and O2 is developed. Again the same thing happens when the catalyst KI is used with H2O2. Because O2 is released as a product in the decomposition, a pressure verses time graph can be used to see the change in pressure. The pressure will change linearly to time first, but then after the initial short lag phase of stable pressure is over the pressure will begin to increase with time. In this experiment it’s crucial to record the rate of reactions because the kinetic order of reaction can be determined based off the differing concentration rates. The rates from the experiments will be measured in kPa/s and have to be converted to M/s by calcu... ...aq) + I-(aq) → IO-(aq) + H2O(aq). The result of this reaction is water and gas pressure because of the decomposition of the H2O2 by KI. The rate law is Rate=k[H2O2]2[KI]1 Conclusion This experiment has taught me how a catalyst actually works. I didn’t know that there were steps in between a catalyst in the reaction that were all used, and then replaced so the reaction is the same when its used and when it started the reaction again. I now have a far better understanding of how a catalyst speeds up a reaction by decreasing the reaction caused by the activation energy. I learned that a specific catalysts might work better at certain temperatures, and they can be measured by the different temperatures for the first reactions and the final reaction. I also learned that by measuring the rate constant at different temperatures, I can find the activation energy.