The following reaction is first order. $$\left(\mathrm{CH}_{2}\right)_{3}(g) \rightarrow \mathrm{CH}_{2}=\mathrm{CH}-\mathrm{CH}_{3}(g)$$ What change in reaction rate would you expect if the pressure of \(\left(\mathrm{CH}_{2}\right)_{3}\) doubled?

Understanding the speed at which chemical reactions occur is pivotal in the study of chemical kinetics. This branch of physical chemistry deals with the factors that affect the pace of a chemical reaction and the mechanism by which the reaction proceeds.

A primary goal is to establish the relationship between the concentration of reactants and the rate of reaction. Chemical kinetics also involves the use of mathematical equations to model and predict these rates. In addition to providing insight into the reaction mechanism, kinetics has practical applications such as determining the shelf life of pharmaceuticals, optimizing industrial processes, and understanding environmental degradation phenomena.

The term 'reaction order' refers to the power to which the concentration of a reactant is raised in the rate law. The rate law is an equation that quantifies the connection between the reactant concentrations and the rate of reaction.

For example, in a first order reaction, the rate is directly proportional to the concentration of one reactant. In a second order reaction, the rate is proportional to either the square of the concentration of a single reactant or the product of the concentrations of two reactants. Understanding the order of a reaction is critical for controlling chemical processes and predicting how changes in conditions may influence the reaction rate.

The rate of reaction denotes how quickly a chemical reaction proceeds. It usually gets expressed in terms of the concentration change of a reactant or product per unit of time.

The rate can vary greatly—some reactions are over in a fraction of a second, while others may take years. The reaction rate is dependent on several factors including reactant concentrations, temperature, surface area, and the presence of catalysts. In the context of education, understanding how to measure and calculate the rate of reaction helps students grasp the dynamic nature of chemistry and its applications in various scientific fields.

The relationship between concentration and rate is grandly expressed by the rate law for a chemical reaction. In a first order reaction, as seen in the given exercise, the rate of the reaction is linearly dependent on the concentration of the reactant.

When other factors are held constant, doubling the concentration of the reactant leads to a doubling of the reaction rate. This is an intrinsic part of the rate law's mathematical expression and can help students predict how alterations in concentration will affect the speed of various chemical reactions. Understanding this correlation is crucial for chemists when they are designing reactions for desired outcomes in both industrial and research settings.