Arrhenius Equation problem sheet

ln k = ln A Ea/RT

1. Calculations from Energy Diagrams - Units kJmol-1

Reaction 1 Reaction 2

Complete the following table

Reaction 1 Reaction2
Exothermic or
endothermic
EA forward reaction
Enthalpy value
EA reverse reaction

2. The rate constant, k, was determined for a reaction at various temperatures. The
results are given below.
Temperature /0C Second order rate constant, k/mol-1dm3s-1
5 6.81 x 10-6
15 1.40 x 10-5
25 2.93 x 10-5
35 6.11 x 10-5

a) Plot a graph of ln k against T-1 where T must be expressed as an absolute

temperature. (Take the lnK axis from -12 to -8 and the T-1 axis from 0.0030 to 0.0038.)

b) Calculate the gradient (slope) of your Arrhenius plot and use it to determine a value
for the activation energy, Ea, in kJmol-1.

c) Calculate an approximate value for the Arrhenius constant, A, using the Arrhenius
plot.

3. Using the following information, calculate k at 27 C with proper units.

A= 1x1014 s-1
Ea= 7.5x104 J/mol
R= 8.314 J mol/K
4. Find the rate constant if the temperature is 289K, Activation Energy is
200kJ/mol and pre-exponential factor is 9 M-1s-1 .

5. Calculate the activation energy if the pre-exponential factor is 15 M-1s-1, rate

constant is 12M-1s-1 and it is at 22K.

6. Using the integrated equation solve for Ea using:

k1=7.78x10-7 at T1=273 K
k2=3.46x10-5 at T2=298 K

7. Find the new rate constant at 310K if the rate constant is 7 M-1s-1 at 370K, Activation
Energy is 900kJ/mol .

8. Find the new temperature if the rate constant at that temperature is 15M-1s-1 while
at temperature 389K the rate constant is 7M-1s1, the Activation Energy is 600kJ/mol.

9. Cyclopropane isomerizes to propylene according to the first-order reaction:

cyclopropane propylene
The activation energy is Ea=272kJ/mol. At 500oC, the reaction rate constant is
6.1 x 10-4 s-1.
a. Calculate the value of the Arrhenius factor A for this reaction.
b. Calculate the rate constant for this reaction at 25oC.

10. The rate constant for a reaction increases by a factor of 1.65 when the
temperature is increased from 200C to 400C. Calculate the activation energy.

11. A catalyst provides a mechanism with lower activation energy. The lower
activation energy means a faster reaction rate.
The Activation Energy (EA) for the uncatalysed overall reaction is 14.0 kJ while that for
the reaction with the catalyst is 11.9 kJ.
Use the expression relating the rate constant and EA to calculate the ratio of the rate
constant of the catalysed reaction to that for the uncatalysed reaction at 25C.
Assume that the frequency factor is the same for each reaction. What do you notice
about the rate of catalysed reaction?

12. Determine the activation energy for the decomposition of organic peroxide
Temp (K) 410 417 426 436
-1
k (s ) 0.0193 0.0398 0.0830 0.2170