Chemical Kinetics Cheat Sheet

Key Definitions

• Reaction Rate: Change in concentration of reactants/products per unit time. ✅

• Order of Reaction: Sum of powers of concentration terms in the rate law. ✅

• Rate Constant (k): Proportionality constant in the rate equation. ✅

• Activation Energy (Ea): Minimum energy required for a reaction to occur. ✅

Important Concepts

Factors Affecting Reaction Rates

• Concentration: Higher concentration increases reaction rate. ✅

• Temperature: Increased temperature typically increases rate. ✅

• Catalysts: Substances that speed up reactions without being consumed. ✅

• Surface Area: Greater surface area increases reaction rates for solids. ✅

Rate Laws

• General form: Rate = k [A]^m [B]^n

• [A]: concentration of reactant A

• [B]: concentration of reactant B

• m, n: reaction orders with respect to A and B. ✅

Key Formulas

Rate = k [A]^m [B]^n ✅
k = Ae^(-Ea/RT) (Arrhenius Equation) ✅

• A: Pre-exponential factor (frequency factor) ✅

• Ea: Activation energy (J/mol) ✅

• R: Universal gas constant (8.314 J/(mol·K)) ✅

• T: Temperature (K) ✅

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Common Mistake: Confusing order of reaction with stoichiometry of the balanced equation.

Memory Tricks

Tip: "CAT" — Concentration, Activation energy, Temperature (factors affecting rates)

Key Diagrams

Activation Energy Diagram:
Reactants --> [Ea] --> Products

Rate Law Example:
Rate = k [A]^2 [B]^1