Kinetics question (Chemical engineering)

[Beyar]

Hey!

I have a question regarding this question that I have to answer. It is about the kinetics of a substance X whose product is 2Y. It is in Swedish and here is the translation:

The absorbance of a 0,030M-solution of X was calculated with the help of a Spectrometer. The Spectrometer was calibrated to measure the absorbance of the product Y in the following reaction: X(g)-->2Y(g). The koncentration of Y was measured after a minute and every minute consequentially in 23 minutes. The graph shows these concentrations:The question is, calculate the reaction rate constant.

Now to do this, in my opinion and hunch, is we have to know the reaction order and to find it out I usually use a calculator to make a graph of the concentration vs. time, ln(concentration) vs. time and 1/(concentration) vs. time to see whether we deal with a 0, 1 or 2nd order reaction. But I can't seem to get equal amounts of points to make a graph, hence I am stuck :/.
Would anyone please kindly help me with this question?

 

[jim mcnamara]

@Beyar I do not think this is homework. Is that correct?

 

[Beyar]

This is homework, indeed. I've been having issues with it for a while now and made several calculations and still get the wrong answer.

 

[mjc123]

What do you mean by "can't get equal amount of points to make a graph"?

make a graph of the concentration vs. time, ln(concentration) vs. time and 1/(concentration) vs. time to see whether we deal with a 0, 1 or 2nd order reaction

For what data are those relationships valid? Can you use them with your given [Y]-t data?

 

[epenguin]

These functions of concentration of what against time? X or Y? For your points after about 10 minutes you are so close to equilibrium or to zero [X] , i.e. essentially no reaction happening, that you cannot use them in your kinetics graphs - you cannot do kinetics where nothing is changing!

 

[Beyar]

These functions of concentration of what against time? X or Y? For your points after about 10 minutes you are so close to equilibrium or to zero [X] , i.e. essentially no reaction happening, that you cannot use them in your kinetics graphs - you cannot do kinetics where nothing is changing!

Against the concentration of Y.

 

[epenguin]

It makes more sense to use [X] though only for values that are significantly different from zero.

 

[Chestermiller]

Assume that the reaction is 1st order, and that the original concentration of Y is zero. What are the concentrations of X at the various times?