Chemical kinetics deals with two main aspects of a chemical reaction: the rate of reaction (i.e, the speed at which the reaction occurs), and the reaction mechanism (i.e, the details of all the steps involved in the reaction). In this post, our focus shall be on the rates of chemical reactions. Rates of Reactions Rate is the degree of change of the property of a substance with respect to time. A chemical reaction is a change which involves the conversion of reactants to products, as stated below: A ----> B where A is the reactant and B is the product. In the above hypothetical equation, it can be said that at the beginning of the reaction at time, t = 0, the amount of A present will be 100%, while the amount of B will be 0%. After, a given time, say t1, the concentration of A will decrease, while that of B will be seen to increase. The speed at which these changes occur is said to be the rate of reaction. Therefore, the rate of a chemical reaction i
...demystifying chemistry for learners!