INTRODUCTION

The Iodine Clock Reaction experiment was conducted to determine the effects of reactant concentration,
temperature, and the presence of a catalyst on the reaction rates. The experiment determines the rate
orders of Iodine (I-) and persulfate, S2O8-.
According to Silberberg, the rate law (or rate equation) expresses the rate as a function of concentrations
and temperature [2]. It is determined using experimental data. The rate law consists of a proportionality
constant (k) or the rate constant. It is specific for a given reaction and temperature and sure, theoretically,
not change as a reaction proceeds. The rate constant is multiplied to the concentrations of the reactants
raised to their respective rate orders.
The solutions used in this experiment are as follows: 0.2 M KI, 0.2 M KCl, 0.1 M K 2S2O8, 0.1 M K2SO4, 4.0
mM Na2S2O3, starch, and CuSO4 (the catalyst). The first two are placed in a beaker labelled A while the
rest (except for CuSO4) are placed in a beaker labelled B.
The effects of temperature were observed by altering the set-up of the experiment. The solutions were
exposed to different temperatures via water bath before being allowed to mix. The reaction time was
recorded for the computation of the Activation Energy (Ea). The Ea is the energy colliding molecules need
to exceed for a reaction to proceed [2].
The last objective of the experiment is to observe the effects of a catalyst. A catalyst is a substance that can
change the speed of a chemical [1]. It can either be homogeneous (same phase as the mixture) or
heterogeneous (exists in a different phase). A catalyst enters the reaction but is not consumed. They speed
up the reaction rate by lowering the reactions activation energy [3].