Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can define the rate of a reaction as a change in concentration (or amount) per unit time and give its usual unit, M s⁻¹. (Guide: “What a reaction rate measures”)
- I can explain why a reactant’s rate is written as −Δ[reactant]/Δt and why rates are reported as positive numbers. (Guide; Practice Q7)
- I can tell the difference between an average rate, an instantaneous rate and an initial rate on a concentration–time graph. (Guide: Figure 1; Practice Q3, Q7)
- I can describe at least three lab measurements that follow a reaction over time, such as gas volume, mass loss and absorbance. (Guide: “How rates are measured in the lab”; Practice Q5)
Calculation
- I can use the coefficients of a balanced equation to convert the rate of one species into the rate of another. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q1, Q4)
- I can calculate the rate of reaction by dividing a species’ rate by its coefficient. (Practice Q4)
- I can calculate an average rate from a table of concentrations and times. (Practice Q3)
- I can find an instantaneous rate from the slope of a tangent. (Practice Q7)
- I can convert gas-volume or mass-loss data into a rate in mol s⁻¹ and then in M s⁻¹. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q5)
Reasoning
- I can explain, in terms of collisions, why higher concentration, higher temperature, larger surface area and a catalyst each increase the rate. (Guide: “What changes the rate”; Practice Q2, Q6)
- I can explain why most reactions slow down as they proceed. (Practice Q5, Q7)
- I can separate how fast a reaction goes from how much product it finally makes. (Practice Q6)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 5.2, Introduction to Rate Law, or return to the course roadmap.