Academic Year 2017-18

Rates of Chemical Reactions: The Rate Law for The Iodination of Acetone
(Chemical Kinetics I)

Lab Notebook and Lab Report

Prior to coming to lab your notebook must include everything for you to understand and complete the
experiment and calculations. This includes: the objectives of the experiment, pertinent background
information such as mathematical and chemical equations, a summary of lab procedures for all parts of
the lab and any tables that may be useful for data collection as well as any tables you will need for data
analysis. Your procedures should NOT be a copy of the lab procedures, but detailed enough for you to
follow in the lab. You will not be permitted to bring this document or the procedures written in this
document into the lab. Write all observations directly into your lab notebook as you go. When you are
finished, complete your calculations in your lab notebook, write 1-2 conclusion sentences and work on
the post lab questions if there is time. You are expected to remain in lab for the entire duration of the
period.

Your lab report should follow the format that is provided on the lab grading rubric: cover sheet, the
yellow copies of all the lab pages associated with the experiment, the completed lab report sheet(s), post
lab questions and a summary statement. Be sure to include your section number on your cover sheet.

For this experiment be sure you understand how to calculate the orders of reaction from the type of data
you will be collecting. A clear example is provided in the background material.

OBJECTIVES

1. To find the values of all the constants in the rate law for the reaction between iodine and acetone.
(the rate constant and the order of reaction for each reactant).

2. To use the rate law to predict the time required for reaction of a mixture of arbitrary amounts of
the reactants.

3. To compare your prediction with the value you measure.

BACKGROUND

Reaction Rates

The rate at which a chemical reaction occurs depends on several factors: the nature of the reaction, the
concentrations of the reactants, the temperature, and the presence of possible catalysts. All of these
factors can markedly influence the observed rate of reaction.

Some reactions are very slow; the oxidation of gaseous hydrogen or wood at room temperature would
not proceed appreciably in a century. Other reactions are essentially instantaneous; the precipitation of
solid silver chloride when aqueous solutions containing silver ions and chloride ions are mixed, and the
formation of water when acidic and basic solutions are mixed are examples of extremely rapid reactions.
In this experiment, we will study a reaction which, near room temperature, proceeds at a moderate,
relatively easily measured rate

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Rates of Chemical Reactions: The Rate Law for The Iodination of Acetone
(Chemical Kinetics I)

For a given reaction, the rate typically increases with an increase in the concentration of any reactant.
The relationship between rate and concentration is a remarkably simple one in many cases, and for the
reaction:

aA + bB → cC

the rate can usually be expressed by the general rate law (a.k.a., the general rate expression):

rate = k [A]m [B]n (1)

where m and n are usually, but not absolutely always, small positive integers: 0, 1, 2, or possibly 3; [A]
and [B] are the concentrations of A and B in moles per liter; and k is a constant, called the rate constant
of the reaction, which makes the relation quantitatively correct. The numbers m and n are called the
orders of the reaction with respect to the reactant compounds A and B. If m is 1, the reaction is said to
be first order with respect to the reactant A. If n is 2, the reaction is second order with respect to
reactant B. The overall order of the reaction is the sum of m and n. In this example, the reaction would
be third order overall.

In this experiment, we will study the kinetics of the reaction between acetone and iodine in aqueous
solution: O O
CH3–C–CH3 + I2 CH3–C–CH2I + H+ + I ˉ
acetone iodine
(brown)

The rate of this reaction is found to depend on the concentration of hydrogen ion in the solution as well
as presumably on the concentrations of the two reactants. The general rate law for this reaction is

rate = k [acetone]m [I2]n [H+]p (2)

where m, n, and p are the orders of the reaction with respect to acetone, iodine, and hydrogen ion,
respectively, and k is the rate constant for the reaction. The inclusion of H+, a product, in the rate
expression is not typical, but arises because the reaction is multi-step, and H+ is a reactant in the rate-
limiting slow step of the reaction mechanism. The rate of this reaction can be expressed as the change in
the concentration of I2, ∆[I2], that occurs, divided by the time interval, ∆t, required for the change:

[I2 ]
rate =  (3)
t

Because the [I2] is decreasing, Δ[I2]/Δt is negative. The minus sign makes the rate positive.

The iodination of acetone is a reaction that can be easily investigated experimentally for at least two
reasons. First, iodine has a dark brown color in water, so that one can readily follow changes in iodine
concentration visually (the solution gets less darkly colored as the I2 is used up). A second and
important characteristic of this reaction is that it turns out to be zero order in [I2]. This means (see
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 Academic Year 2017-18

Rates of Chemical Reactions: The Rate Law for The Iodination of Acetone
(Chemical Kinetics I)

Equation 2) that the rate of the reaction does not depend on [I2] at all; [I2]º = 1, no matter what the value
of [I2] is, as long as it’s not zero.

Because the rate of this reaction does not depend on [I2], we can study the rate by simply making I2 the
limiting reactant present with a large excess of acetone and H+ ion. In this way, when I2 is completely
used up, the concentrations of acetone and H+ will have changed only slightly – for practical purposes,
unchanged – thereby keeping the rate of the reaction constant (c.f., Equation 2).

We will measure the time required for a known initial concentration of I2 to be used up completely. The
rate remains effectively constant until all the iodine is gone, at which time the reaction will stop. Under
such circumstances, if it takes “t” seconds for the color of a solution having an initial concentration of I2
equal to [I2]0 to disappear, the rate of the reaction, by Equation 3, would be:

[I2 ] [I ]  [I2 ] o 0  [I2 ] o [I ]

rate =  =  2 t = = 2 o (4)
t t  t0 t 0 t

This equation shows that the rate of the reaction is NOT the same as the time required for the reaction,
even though they are closely related. If the rate for one reaction mixture is higher than for another, the
time required for the first mixture is lower than for the other (if the [I2]o is the same in each).

Calculating Orders of The Reaction

Under the conditions we have set up, the rate of the reaction is constant during its course. However, we
can vary it from one mixture to another by changing the initial concentrations of acetone and H+ ion.
For example, if we change the initial concentration of acetone from that in Mixture 1, keeping [H+] and
[I2] the same values as in Mixture 1, Equation 2 tells us that the rate of reaction in Mixture 2 would be
different from that in Mixture 1. Using [A]1 for the concentration of acetone in mixture 1 and [A]2 for
the concentration of acetone in mixture 2:

rate2 = k [ A ]m n + p
2 [I2] [H ] (5a)
rate1 = k [ A ]1m [I2]n + p
[H ] (5b)

Dividing the first equation by the second (see below), we see that the “k” terms cancel out. So do the
terms in the iodine and hydrogen ion concentrations, since they have the same values in both reactions,
and we obtain simply

 p m
rate 2 k [A]m n
2 [I 2 ] [H ] [A]m  [A] 
= = 2
=  2  (5)
rate1 k [A]m [I ]n [H  ] p m
[A]1  [ A ]1 
1 2

Having measured values for both rate2 and rate1 (which we calculate using Equation 4), we can find their
ratio, which must be equal to ([A]2/[A]1)m. We can then solve for m (the order of the reaction with
respect to acetone) either by inspection (e.g., when the ratios are simple whole numbers, like 2) or by
using logarithms. For values that cannot be solved by inspection:
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Rates of Chemical Reactions: The Rate Law for The Iodination of Acetone
(Chemical Kinetics I)

m
 rate 2   [A]2   [A]2 
log  = log   = m × log  
 rate 1   [ A ]1   [ A ]1 

which can be solved for m to give:

 rate 2 
log 
 rate1 
m= (see * footnote) (6)
 [A]2 
log 
 [ A ]1 

In this example, we can use Equation 6, to easily find the value of m, the order of reaction with respect
to acetone, from the rates of reaction and concentrations of acetone in the two mixtures. By a similar
procedure we can measure the orders of the reaction with respect to [H+] and [I2]. This should confirm
that the order of reaction with respect to I2 (i.e., the value of n) is zero.

* The 1 and 2 subscripts in Equation 6 apply ONLY to the example started above.

Calculating the Rate Constant for The Reaction

After finding the order of the reaction with respect to each reactant, we can then evaluate k, the rate
constant for the reaction. The value of k can be calculated by solving Equation 2 for any mixture in
which you know the concentrations of the reactants and measure the rate.

Because the rate constant, k, has different values at different temperatures, it is important that the
temperature of the reaction mixtures be the same throughout the various runs. Because all the reagents
are at room temperature, and the reaction generates little heat, we will assume that the temperatures
remain constant, at room temperature.

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 Academic Year 2017-18

Rates of Chemical Reactions: The Rate Law for The Iodination of Acetone
(Chemical Kinetics I)

PROCEDURES

CAUTION: Aqueous solutions of I2 will stain clothes or skin if it contacts them. Wearing
gloves and a lab apron or coat is recommended when handling the solutions in this experiment.

Part A: Measuring Reaction Times, Mixtures 1-4

1. Obtain two color comparison tubes from the side bench. These are flat-bottomed glass tubes that,
when filled with distilled water, should appear to have identical color when you view them down the
length of the tubes against a white background (use a couple of thicknesses of clean notebook paper).
Stand each tube up in its own 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask so that they don’t fall over.

Colorimeter tubes.

2. Obtain a stopwatch and be sure you understand how to use it before you begin. Alternatively use
your watch/phone for timing.

3. Obtain about 50 mL of each of the following solutions to take to your bench: 4.0 M acetone, 1.0 M
HCl, and 0.0050 M I2. Check/record the exact molarities of each solution. Obtain more as necessary

Use clean, dry, 100- or 150-mL beakers, one solution to a beaker: DO NOT pour unused portions of
any solution back into the bottle from which it came – this would risk contaminating the bottle for
all students to follow. Cover each beaker with a watch glass or a larger beaker (inverted over it) to
minimize evaporation. If you use a watch glass, turn it convex side down for better stability. Place
them on a labeled sheet of paper or paper towel so that you don’t get them mixed up.

4. Using a 10.0 graduated cylinder measure out (to the nearest ±0.1 mL) 10.0 mL of the 4.0 M acetone
solution (use a disposable pipet to add the last few drops to be more accurate) and pour it into a clean
125-mL Erlenmeyer flask.

5. Then similarly measure out 10.0 mL of 1.0 M HCl solution and add that to the acetone in the flask.

6. Add 20.0 mL of distilled water to the flask.

7. Measure out 10.0 mL of 0.0050 M I2 solution, but don’t add it to the flask yet. Be careful not to
spill the iodine solution on your hands or clothes – it stains permanently!

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Rates of Chemical Reactions: The Rate Law for The Iodination of Acetone
(Chemical Kinetics I)

8. Prepare your color reference tube by filling one of the color comparison tubes with distilled water to
the 50-mL line. Place both tubes (in their 250 mL Erlenmeyer flasks)) on a sheet of dry, white notebook
paper.

9. Start the stop watch as you quickly pour the iodine solution from your 10-mL graduated cylinder into
the Erlenmeyer flask. Immediately swirl the flask for a few seconds to mix the solutions thoroughly,
and pour the entire contents into the second color comparison tube. Be sure it reaches the 50-mL line.
Allow the reaction mixture to remain at room temperature – do not wrap your hand around the color
comparison tube, raising its temperature. The reaction mixture will appear yellow because of the
presence of the iodine, and the color will fade slowly as the iodine reacts with the acetone. Look
vertically down the length of both tubes toward the piece of white paper, and use the stopwatch to
measure the time required for the color of the iodine to disappear (i.e., when the colors seen down each
tube appear the same – use your best judgment).

10. Make a second run with this mixture (#1), but use the reacted solution as your color reference tube
instead of distilled water. Use this same color reference solution for all of the remaining runs.

11. Follow steps 4-10 for the remainder of the mixtures listed in the Data Collection Table. The amount
of time required in the two runs should agree within about 10%. If they don’t, make a third run.

Notes:
- if you need to reuse the same 10.0 mL graduated for all your measurements be sure to rinse it
with distilled water between solutions and shake dry.
- as you make each of the following runs, try to keep a reaction going most of the time. Measure
out the next solution while the previous one is reacting, and be ready to run the next one as soon as you
can. Be as efficient with your time as you can.

Part B: Predicting A Reaction Time and Confirming It by Measurement

1. As in part A, combine of 15.0 mL of acetone, 15.0 mL of HCl and 10.0 mL of water in an

Erlenmeyer Flask.

2. Add 10.0 mL of I2 solution and measure the time for the color change.

3. Make a second run.

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Rates of Chemical Reactions: The Rate Law for The Iodination of Acetone
(Chemical Kinetics I)

Data Collection Table 1 for Parts A and B (This information needs to be in your lab notebook before
you come to lab. You will fill in the data directly into your notebook as you complete the lab.)
Volume of
Volume of Volume of Volume of Time Time Average
4.0 M
Mixture 1.0 M HCl Water 0.0050 M I2 1st run 2nd run Time
Acetone
(mL) (mL) (mL) (s) (s) (s)
(mL)
A1 10.0 10.0 20.0 10.0
A2 20.0 10.0 10.0 10.0
A3 10.0 20.0 10.0 10.0
A4 10.0 10.0 25.0 5.0
B 15.0 15.0 10.0 10.0

DISPOSAL OF REACTION PRODUCTS Discard all waste reagents from this experiment into the
waste container provided in the hood for subsequent disposal. As always, NEVER pour any unused
portions of stock solutions back into the stock solution bottles on the side bench.

Calculate the average time for each of your mixtures rounded to the nearest second. If you made
a third run, use your judgment to decide whether to discard one run and average the remaining
two, average all three, or make a fourth run. Using this average time calculate the rate of reaction
for each mixture.

Calculate the concentrations of acetone, H+ ion, and I2, (after mixing, but before reaction) in
moles/L, and write them in Data Collection Table 2. The concentrations in a solution diluted from
an initial, more concentrated, solution are easily found when you know the volumes of the initial
concentrated solution and the final diluted mixture:
C1V1 = C2V2
where C1 and V1 are the concentration and volume before diluting, and C2 and V2 are those
afterward.

Data Collection Table 2 for Parts A and B (This information needs to be in your lab notebook before
you come to lab. You will fill in the data directly into your notebook as you complete the lab.)
[I2 ] o
Mixture [Acetone]0 [H+]0 [I2]0 Rate =
avg. time
A1
A2
A3
A4
B

Using the data for mixtures A1-A4, calculate:

 the order of reaction with respect to acetone (i.e., the value of m in equation 2).
 the order of reaction with respect to H+ (i.e., the value of p in equation 2)
 the order of reaction with respect to I2 (i.e., the value of n in equation 2)
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Rates of Chemical Reactions: The Rate Law for The Iodination of Acetone
(Chemical Kinetics I)

Calculate each order of reaction to ±0.01, and also the value rounded to an integer. Use the
integer value in all subsequent calculations.

Once you have the rate law calculate the value of the rate constant, k, for each of your four
mixtures (and round each properly). And then calculate the average value for the rate constant.
Include the units for k.

For Part B use the rate law determined above (integer values for the orders of reaction – m, n, and
p – and the properly rounded average value for the rate constant, k) to predict (using equation 2)
the rate of reaction for the mixture you ran in Part B. Then use this rate to calculate (using
equation 4) how long (t) you would EXPECT it to take for the I2 color to disappear from this
mixture.

Compare this theoretically calculated time to the time you experimentally measured in Part B as
% error.

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Rates of Chemical Reactions: The Rate Law for The Iodination of Acetone
(Chemical Kinetics I)

Lab Data Report Sheet

(to be submitted with lab report for grading)

Name: __________________________ Section #: _______

Part A

Notebook pages on which calculations can be found: ____________________

Experimentally Determined Rate Law:

Part B

Experimentally measured time for the I2 color to disappear: _______________________

Theoretically calculated time for the I2 color to disappear. Show calculation:

Percent % in time: Show calculation.

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Rates of Chemical Reactions: The Rate Law for The Iodination of Acetone
(Chemical Kinetics I)

Abstract:

Be sure to write the abstract in the passive voice (no I, we, they, the group…). Specific experimental
conditions and tests are written in the past tense while results and scientific facts are stated in the present
tense.
1. 1 sentence statement of problem or purpose of experiment/importance of the experiment
2. 1-2 sentences on the experimental methodology or the theoretical principles used for that lab
3. 1 or 2 sentences summarizing your data, findings, and results
4. 1 sentence conclusion

For this experiment, be sure to include:

- what is a rate law in general and why are they important/significant
- how was the experiment conducted, how was the rate determined
- what was the reaction being studied and what was the experimentally determined rate law
- what was your % error between the theoretical and experimental times for the reaction – what
does this indicate about the rate law you determined

Summary Statement:

Summary statements should be stand-alone paragraphs that anyone could read and quickly understand
what you determined, how precise and/or accurate your results were, sources of error, potential
improvements to the experiment and applications of the experiment to a broader topic. For example, do
not simply state that the objective of the experiment was met but rather state what the actual result was.
Do not repeat all the procedures from the experiment but be clear when you discuss sources of error and
improvements. For example: “It was difficult to get the volume correct” vs “Due to lack of experience it
was difficult to use the pipet bulb and the volumetric pipets which may have resulted in significant
errors in the volume.” Do not include personal statements about the experiment – I enjoyed this lab,
Billy and I finished it quickly, I didn’t understand the procedures….

For this experiment, be sure to address the following at a minimum:

- how well did the orders for each reactant turn out? Were they close to whole numbers or did
you have to round significantly? Did they come out as expected (you should know what one of them
was supposed to be from the background information)
- what was the % error calculated for part B and what does its value indicate about the rate law
you determined
- sources of error and improvements to the experiment
- find a real-world example related to any topic covered in this experiment, discuss it briefly and
include a citation

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