THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
CHEM1902 CHEMICAL KINETICS
SUMMER SCHOOL TUTORIAL

1. Given equation: 2N2O5(g) → 4 NO2(g) + O2(g)

(a) Write the rate for the reaction in terms of the disappearance of reactants and the
appearance of products (under steady state conditions).
(b) What is the rate of formation of oxygen gas (in mol dm−3 s−1) in an experiment where
0.080 mol of N2O5 is consumed in a 4.0 L container every 0.20 seconds?

2. Carbon dating using 14C is a highly important tool in archaeology. Using this technique, it is
possible to determine the length of time since an organism has died. The half-life of radioactive
14
C is 5,760 years. Charcoal found under a stone at Stonehenge, England, was investigated
using the radiocarbon method. A Geiger counter measured 9.24 counts per minute per gram
(c.p.m.g-1) carbon compared to 15.4 c.p.m.g-1 in a fresh sample of the same type of wood.
How old is the charcoal?

3. The half life for a second order decomposition of a substance A is 50.5 s when [A]0 = 0.84 mol
dm−3. Calculate the time needed for the concentration of “A” to decrease to one sixth of its
initial concentration.

4. The first order rate constant for the reaction, SO2Cl2(g) → SO2(g) + Cl2(g), is 2.20 x 10-5 s-1
at 593 K. What percent of a sample of SO2Cl2 would be decomposed by heating at 593 K for
(a) 1 hr, (b) 3 hr. How long will it take for half of the SO2Cl2 to decompose?