🧪 Chapter: Chemical Kinetics – Class 12 Notes
📌 1. Introduction
Chemical Kinetics: The branch of chemistry that
deals with the rate of chemical reactions, factors
affecting the rate, and mechanism.
Helps in controlling the speed of reactions in
industries and labs.
⚡ 2. Rate of a Reaction
Rate = Change in concentration / Time taken
Average Rate:
Rate=[R]1−[R]2t2−t1\text{Rate} = \frac{[\text{R}]_1 - [\
text{R}]_2}{t_2 - t_1}Rate=t2−t1[R]1−[R]2
Instantaneous Rate:
Rate=−d[R]dt=d[P]dt\text{Rate} = -\frac{d[\text{R}]}{dt}
= \frac{d[\text{P}]}{dt}Rate=−dtd[R]=dtd[P]
Unit: mol L⁻¹ s⁻¹
🔁 3. Rate Law or Rate Equation
Expression that relates rate of reaction with
concentration of reactants:
Rate=k[A]x[B]y\text{Rate} = k[\text{A}]^x[\
text{B}]^yRate=k[A]x[B]y
k = Rate constant
x, y = Order with respect to A and B (can be zero,
fraction, or integer)
🧩 4. Order of a Reaction
Sum of powers of concentration terms in the rate
law.
Total order = x + y
Zero Order: Rate is independent of concentration
First Order: Rate ∝ [A]
Second Order: Rate ∝ [A]² or [A][B]
Unit of k:
o Zero order: mol L⁻¹ s⁻¹
o First order: s⁻¹
o Second order: L mol⁻¹ s⁻¹
⏳ 5. Molecularity
Number of reactant particles taking part in an
elementary step.
Can never be zero or fractional.
Unimolecular, Bimolecular, Termolecular (rare).
🧪 6. Integrated Rate Laws
✅ For First Order Reaction:
A → Product
k=2.303tlog([R]0[R])k = \frac{2.303}{t} \log\left(\
frac{[R]_0}{[R]}\right)k=t2.303log([R][R]0)
Half-life (t₁⁄₂):
t1/2=0.693kt_{1/2} = \frac{0.693}{k}t1/2=k0.693
Independent of initial concentration
🔥 7. Factors Affecting Rate
1. Concentration: Higher concentration → faster rate
2. Temperature: Increases rate exponentially
3. Catalyst: Lowers activation energy
4. Surface Area: More surface area = faster reaction
5. Nature of Reactants
8. Arrhenius Equation
Shows relation between rate constant and
temperature:
k=Ae−Ea/RTk = Ae^{-E_a/RT}k=Ae−Ea/RT
Where:
A = Frequency factor
EaE_aEa = Activation energy
R = Gas constant
T = Temperature (K)
Logarithmic Form:
logk=logA−Ea2.303RT\log k = \log A - \frac{E_a}
{2.303RT}logk=logA−2.303RTEa
🔍 9. Collision Theory
Reactions occur due to collisions between
molecules.
Effective collision: Leads to product formation
Activation Energy: Minimum energy required for
effective collisions.
📝 10. Graphical Representations
Order [R] vs t ln[R] vs t 1/[R] vs t
Straight line (–
Zero Curve Curve
ve slope)
Straight
First Curve Curve
line
Straight line
Second Curve Curve
(+ve slope)
📘 11. Important Points
Order ≠ Molecularity (except for elementary
reactions)
First-order reactions are most common in nature
Half-life method is best to find order of reaction
Units of rate constant help determine the order
