Peter Boateng - 103316172 Experiment 2: Rate of a Chemical Reaction The Iodine Clock Reaction Abstract The purpose of this

s experiment was to determine the rate law for the iodidehydrogen peroxide reaction and to study the effects of concentration, temperature and catalyst on the rate of a chemical reaction. In this experiment, a set amount of Na2S2O3 was used to interact with I2, the product of the initial reaction, H202 + 2I- and 2H+, reducing I2 back to I- as fast as it is formed. A starch indicator, which forms a deep blue colour with iodine, was used to detect this point in the reaction, thus creating a clock reaction. For the first 4 reactions, the dependence of the reaction rate on concentration was demonstrated by using different mixtures of reactants and by measuring the time it took for the solution to turn blue. In the fifth reaction, the use of Mo(VI) demonstrated the dependence of reaction rate on a catalyst by lowering the activation energy and speeding up the reaction. Lastly, the dependence on temperature was observed by decreasing the temperature of the reaction mixture in a beaker of cold water. The individual orders for H2O2, I- and H+ were 1, 1 and 0 respectively. The overall reaction order was 2 and the average rate constant for reactions 1-4 was 0.084 s-1. The ratio between the catalyzed rate and the uncatalyzed rate was 1.02, and the ratio between the room temperature reaction and the reaction put in an ice bath was 0.97. This was possibly due to experimental error. The measurement techniques, whether of time, temperature, or colour change, all have an influence on the resulting reaction rate value. Theoretically both ratios should be higher. According to the data obtained, the purpose was achieved. The rate law was determined and there was an increase in reaction rate when the temperature or concentration was increased or if a catalyst was used.