Consider two reaction vessels, one containing \(\mathrm{A}\) and the other containing \(\mathrm{B}\) , with equal concentrations at \(t=0 .\) If both substances decompose by first-order kinetics, where $$ \begin{array}{l}{k_{\mathrm{A}}=4.50 \times 10^{-4} \mathrm{s}^{-1}} \\\ {k_{\mathrm{B}}=3.70 \times 10^{-3} \mathrm{s}^{-1}}\end{array} $$ how much time must pass to reach a condition such that \([\mathrm{A}]=\) 4.00\([\mathrm{B}]\) ?

Short Answer

Expert verified
To find the time when the concentration of A is 4 times the concentration of B, we can use the first-order reaction equation and the given rate constants. The equation is \(e^{-k_At} = 4 \times e^{-k_Bt}\). Solving for \(t\) gives \(t = \frac{\ln{4}}{k_B - k_A}\). Substituting the given values of \(k_A\) and \(k_B\) and calculating, we find that it takes approximately \(538.8\) seconds for the condition to be met.

Step by step solution

01

Identify the formula for the first-order reaction

The general equation to describe first-order reactions is given by: $$ [A]_t = [A]_0 \times e^{-k_At} $$ Similarly, for substance B, it would be: $$ [B]_t = [B]_0 \times e^{-k_Bt} $$ Where: - \([A]_t\) and \([B]_t\) are the concentrations of substances A and B, respectively, at a given time \(t\), - \([A]_0\) and \([B]_0\) are the initial concentrations at time \(t=0\), - \(k_A\) and \(k_B\) are the rate constants of substances A and B, respectively, - \(t\) is the time elapsed.
02

Express the given condition \([A] = 4[B]\) using the formulas

To find the time when the condition \([A] = 4[B]\) is met, we can substitute the concentration expressions from the previous step into this equation. It would look like this: $$ [A]_0 \times e^{-k_At} = 4 \times ([B]_0 \times e^{-k_Bt}) $$Since \([A]_0 = [B]_0\) (given that both substances have equal concentrations initially), we can simplify the equation to: $$ e^{-k_At} = 4 \times e^{-k_Bt} $$
03

Solve for time t

In order to solve for time \(t\), we can first take the natural logarithm of both sides to get rid of the exponentials: $$ \ln{e^{-k_At}} = \ln{(4 \times e^{-k_Bt})} $$This simplifies to: $$ -k_At = \ln{4} - k_Bt $$Now we can solve for \(t\): $$ t = \frac{\ln{4}}{k_B - k_A} $$Plug in the given values of \(k_A\) and \(k_B\): $$ t = \frac{\ln{4}}{3.70 \times 10^{-3} s^{-1} - 4.50 \times 10^{-4} s^{-1}} $$
04

Calculate the time

Finally, evaluate the expression to find the time: $$ t = \frac{\ln{4}}{3.25 \times 10^{-3} s^{-1}} \approx 538.8 \,\text{seconds} $$ So, it takes approximately 538.8 seconds for the concentration of A to be 4 times the concentration of B.

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