Help Needed: Activation Energy for KMnO4 + H2C2O4 Reaction

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around finding the activation energy for the reaction between potassium permanganate and oxalic acid. Participants explore the feasibility of calculating this value without experimental data and the implications of doing so in the context of a kinetics lab.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant urgently seeks a method to calculate the activation energy without experimental data, expressing frustration over the lack of available information.
  • Another participant provides a link that appears to relate to a lab procedure, questioning if it is relevant to the request.
  • Some participants argue that determining activation energy should be based on lab results, suggesting that seeking external data could be considered "cheating."
  • A participant emphasizes the importance of using available data from the lab and mentions a formula that relates activation energy to the rate of reaction, indicating that it can be derived from experimental data.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the appropriateness of calculating activation energy without experimental data. Some advocate for using lab data exclusively, while others are open to discussing alternative methods.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved assumptions regarding the expectations of the lab assignment and the ethical considerations of using external data. The discussion also highlights a potential formula for calculating activation energy, but details on its application remain unclear.

eku_girl83
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Plea for help with kinetics lab -- Urgent

I am trying to find a value for the activation energy of the reaction involving potassium permanganate and oxalic acid. I have scoured every free chemistry database on the internet and come up with nothing. Does anyone know how I can calculate this value without using experimental data? Or is there a book that I can find in the library that would contain it? If anyone has access to information I don't, could you please look up this value for me?

This is extremely important.

Thanks!
 
Chemistry news on Phys.org
Does this work?

http://colossus.chem.umass.edu/genchem/chem112/112_Experiment_4.htm
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Don't you have to determine the E(act) from the lab ? Wouldn't getting it from outside be "cheating" ?
 
Hey, Gokul is right -- It would be cheating... If you are asked to do the experiment and find it this way, don't try anything else. This is strongly discouraged in PF community. The link I gave you again involves lab procedure, if I'm not wrong.
 
eku_girl83 said:
I am trying to find a value for the activation energy of the reaction involving potassium permanganate and oxalic acid. I have scoured every free chemistry database on the internet and come up with nothing. Does anyone know how I can calculate this value without using experimental data? Or is there a book that I can find in the library that would contain it? If anyone has access to information I don't, could you please look up this value for me?

This is extremely important.

Thanks!

Why do you want to find out the Activation energy without using experimental data? If you are indeed doing a lab, you should just use only the values available to you, since the teachers wouldn't expect you to be perfect...

As a matter of fact, there is a formula that relates activation energy to the rate of reaction, thus you can determine the activation energy just from your own data. Please explain yourself further before i can give you the formula. I am not sure if I am suppose to or not from the posts by Goku and Chem_tr
 

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