Consider the following elementary step: $$ \mathrm{X}+2 \mathrm{Y} \longrightarrow \mathrm{XY}_{2} $$ (a) Write a rate law for this reaction. (b) If the initial rate of formation of \(\mathrm{XY}_{2}\) is \(3.8 \times 10^{-3} \mathrm{M} / \mathrm{s}\) and the initial concentrations of \(\mathrm{X}\) and \(\mathrm{Y}\) are \(0.26 \mathrm{M}\) and \(0.88 M\), what is the rate constant of the reaction?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The rate law for the reaction is \(rate = k[X][Y]^{2}\). The rate constant, \(k\), for this reaction is approximately \(2.03 \times 10^{-2} M^{-2}s^{-1}\).

Step by step solution

01

Derive the Rate Law

The general form of a rate law is given by the formula \(rate = k[A]^{m}[B]^{n}\), where \(k\) is the rate constant, \([A]\) and \([B]\) are the molar concentrations of the reactants, and \(m\) and \(n\) are the orders of the reaction with respect to each reactant. The order of the reaction is determined by the coefficients in the balanced chemical equation in case of an elementary reaction. Thus, for the reaction \( X + 2Y \longrightarrow XY_{2}\), the rate law is \(rate = k[X][Y]^{2}\).
02

Apply Given Initial Conditions to Find Rate Constant

Using the given initial rate of formation of \(XY_{2}\) and the initial concentrations of the reactants, we can substitute these values into the rate law to find the rate constant. The given values are: rate = \(3.8 \times 10^{-3} M/s\), [X] = \(0.26 M\), and [Y] = \(0.88 M\). Therefore, \(3.8 \times 10^{-3} = k(0.26)(0.88)^{2}\).
03

Calculate the Rate Constant

Solving the equation from step 2 for \(k\) gives the rate constant for the reaction. \(k = \frac{3.8 \times 10^{-3}}{(0.26)(0.88)^{2}}\).

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