Analyzing the Setup
Imagine you are observing a chemical reaction in a beaker. We have a simple process where reactant A transforms into product B.
Initially, at time t=0, there is no product B present. Its concentration is exactly 0 M.
However, after 30 minutes, we measure the concentration of B and find it has increased to 0.2 mol L−1. Our goal is to find the average rate of the reaction over this time interval.
The Master Equation
To find how fast the reaction is proceeding, we need the formula for the average rate.
The average rate of a reaction with respect to a product is defined as the change in its concentration divided by the time interval.
Mathematically, this is expressed as ravg=ΔtΔ[B]. Since B is being formed, its concentration increases, making the rate a positive value.
The Unit Conversion Trap
Here is where many students make a silly mistake. The time given in the problem is 30 minutes, but if you look closely at the requested units for the final answer, it asks for the rate in mol L−1 h−1.
We must convert our time from minutes to hours before doing any calculations!
Since there are 60 minutes in an hour, 30 minutes is exactly 6030 h, which simplifies to 0.5 h.
Final Calculation
Now, we are ready to substitute our values into the master equation.
The change in concentration, Δ[B], is 0.2 mol L−1−0 mol L−1=0.2 mol L−1. The time interval, Δt, is 0.5 h.
Plugging these in, we get ravg=0.50.2.
Dividing 0.2 by 0.5 gives us 0.4 mol L−1 h−1.
The question asks for the answer in the specific format of x×10−1. We can rewrite 0.4 as 4×10−1.
Therefore, comparing this to the required format, our final integer value for x is 4.