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Question 43 of 45

Q.(i) Write two differences between order and molecularity of a chemical reaction. [2]

(ii) After 20 years of radioactive decay 0.0625 g remain from 1 g of a radioactive element. Determine the half-life (t1/2) of the reaction. How much of the element did remain after 10 years from the beginning of radioactive decay? [3] OR
(i) The rate constant of a chemical reaction at 600 K is 1.6×10⁻⁵ s⁻¹. The activation energy of the reaction is 209 kJ/mol. Calculate its rate constant at 700 K. [3]
(ii) The unit of rate constant of a chemical reaction is L² mol⁻² s⁻¹. Determine the order of reaction. [2]
West Bengal WbchseWest Bengal HS (WBCHSE) Board 2025Subjective· 5mImportance★★★★★
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Order (experimental, from the rate law) vs molecularity (theoretical, from an elementary mechanism step); t1/2=5t_{1/2}=5 years; 0.25 g remains after 10 years.

(i) Order vs molecularity — two differences:

  1. Order of reaction is the sum of the powers (exponents) of the concentration terms in the experimentally-determined rate law; it can be zero, a fraction, or a positive/negative integer, and applies to the overall reaction. Molecularity is the number of reacting species (atoms, ions, or molecules) that must collide simultaneously in a single elementary step of a reaction mechanism; it is always a positive whole number (1, 2, or rarely 3), and applies only to a single elementary step, not to a multi-step overall reaction.
  2. Order is determined experimentally (from rate data); molecularity is a theoretical concept deduced from the proposed reaction mechanism and cannot be observed directly for a complex (multi-step) reaction, whose order is instead governed by its slowest (rate-determining) elementary step.

(ii) Half-life calculation: Radioactive decay always follows first-order kinetics, so the amount remaining halves every half-life. Starting mass = 1 g; after 20 years, 0.0625 g remains.

0.06251=116=(12)4\frac{0.0625}{1} = \frac{1}{16} = \left(\frac12\right)^4

So 20 years corresponds to exactly 4 half-lives:

t1/2=20 years4=5 yearst_{1/2} = \frac{20\ years}{4} = 5\ years

Amount remaining after 10 years: 1010 years =105=2= \dfrac{10}{5} = 2 half-lives, so

remaining=1 g×(12)2=1 g×14=0.25 g\text{remaining} = 1\ g \times \left(\frac12\right)^2 = 1\ g \times \frac14 = 0.25\ g

OR (i) Arrhenius calculation: Given k1=1.6×10−5 s−1k_1 = 1.6\times10^{-5}\ s^{-1} at T1=600 KT_1=600\ K, Ea=209 kJ/mol=209000 J/molE_a = 209\ kJ/mol = 209000\ J/mol, find k2k_2 at T2=700 KT_2=700\ K. Using

ln⁡k2k1=EaR(1T1−1T2)\ln\frac{k_2}{k_1} = \frac{E_a}{R}\left(\frac{1}{T_1}-\frac{1}{T_2}\right) …

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