CBSE Class 12 Chemistry Notes Chapter 4: In Class 12 Chemistry you will learn advanced concepts that build upon the foundational knowledge gained in previous years. In Class 12 Chemistry the focus shifts towards understanding the intricate details of chemical reactions, properties of elements, and the principles governing them.
These notes are created by subject experts and provide a clear and concise summary of each chapter, ensuring you can easily grasp complex concepts. Whether you are revising for exams or simply want to deepen your understanding, these Chemistry Notes are an important resource throughout your studies.CBSE Class 12 Chemistry Notes Chapter 4 Chemical Kinetics PDF
Chemical Kinetics is a branch of chemistry that focuses on the rate of chemical reactions, the factors influencing these rates, and the mechanisms through which reactions occur. Understanding how quickly a reaction proceeds is crucial, and chemical kinetics provides the framework to analyze this.
Chemical reactions can be categorized based on their rate of reaction:Fast/Instantaneous Reactions: These are reactions that complete in less than 1 picosecond (10⁻¹² seconds). Due to their extremely rapid nature, measuring the speed of such reactions is nearly impossible. Examples include ionic reactions and certain organic substitution reactions.
Slow Reactions: These reactions take a significantly longer time to complete, ranging from minutes to years. Examples include the rusting of iron and the transformation of diamond into graphite.
Moderately Slow Reactions: These reactions fall between the fast and slow categories. They do not complete instantaneously but are faster than slow reactions, making them intermediate in speed.
pH Measurement: Tracking changes in pH can indicate how the concentration of hydrogen ions is varying, which helps in determining the rate of reaction.
Change in Optical Activity: For reactions involving chiral substances, measuring changes in optical rotation can provide information about the rate of reaction.
Change in Pressure: For reactions involving gases, monitoring changes in pressure can be used to determine the rate of reaction.
Change in Conductance: In reactions that involve ionic species, measuring changes in electrical conductance can help assess the reaction rate.
Nature and Concentration of Reactants: The inherent properties of the reactants and their concentrations play a crucial role. For instance, reactions involving more reactive substances or higher concentrations of reactants typically proceed faster.
Temperature: Increasing the temperature generally accelerates the rate of reaction. This is because higher temperatures provide more energy to the reactant molecules, increasing their collision frequency and the energy available for overcoming the activation energy barrier.
Surface Area of Reactants: The surface area of the reactants affects the reaction rate. A greater surface area allows more reactant molecules to be exposed and interact, speeding up the reaction. For example, powdered solids react faster than larger chunks of the same material.
Radiations and Catalysts: Certain types of radiation can affect reaction rates, especially in photochemical reactions. Catalysts, on the other hand, are substances that speed up a reaction without being consumed in the process. They work by providing an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy.
Pressure of Gas: For reactions involving gases, increasing the pressure generally increases the rate of reaction. This is because higher pressure increases the concentration of gas molecules, leading to more frequent collisions.
Rate Constant
In the above expression, k is called rate constant or velocity constant. Rate constant may be defined as the specific rate of reaction when the molar concentrations of the reactants is taken to be unity, i.e., Rate = k, if [A] = [B] = 1 Units of rate constant or specific reaction rate for a nth order reaction is given as K = (1/Time) x(1/[Conc.]n – 1)Nature and Concentration of Reactants: The inherent properties of the reactants and their concentrations play a crucial role. For instance, reactions involving more reactive substances or higher concentrations of reactants typically proceed faster.
Temperature: Increasing the temperature generally accelerates the rate of reaction. This is because higher temperatures provide more energy to the reactant molecules, increasing their collision frequency and the energy available for overcoming the activation energy barrier.
Surface Area of Reactants: The surface area of the reactants affects the reaction rate. A greater surface area allows more reactant molecules to be exposed and interact, speeding up the reaction. For example, powdered solids react faster than larger chunks of the same material.
Radiations and Catalysts: Certain types of radiation can affect reaction rates, especially in photochemical reactions. Catalysts, on the other hand, are substances that speed up a reaction without being consumed in the process. They work by providing an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy.
Pressure of Gas: For reactions involving gases, increasing the pressure generally increases the rate of reaction. This is because higher pressure increases the concentration of gas molecules, leading to more frequent collisions.
Pseudo First Order Reactions are chemical reactions that, despite involving more than one reactant, can be treated as first-order reactions under certain conditions. This simplification occurs when one of the reactants is present in such excess that its concentration remains nearly constant throughout the reaction. As a result, the reaction effectively behaves as if it were first-order with respect to the reactant that is not in excess.
In a pseudo first-order reaction, the rate law can be simplified to resemble a first-order reaction. This often happens in reactions where one reactant is present in large excess compared to the other. For example, in the hydrolysis of an ester in the presence of a large amount of water, the concentration of water remains approximately constant, so the reaction rate depends predominantly on the concentration of the ester.Activation energy (E_a) is the additional amount of energy required by the reactants to reach the threshold energy and convert into products.
Photochemical reactions are chemical reactions that occur when exposed to visible light or other forms of electromagnetic radiation. Key points include: