Textbook Question
Ozone in the upper atmosphere can be destroyed by the following two-step mechanism:
Cl(g) + O3(g) → ClO(g) + O2(g)
ClO(g) + O(g) → Cl(g) + O2(g)
(b) What is the catalyst in the reaction?
Ch.14 - Chemical Kinetics
Brown14th EditionChemistry: The Central ScienceISBN: 9780134414232
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Table of contents
- Ch.1 - Introduction: Matter, Energy, and Measurement177
- Ch.2 - Atoms, Molecules, and Ions231
- Ch.3 - Chemical Reactions and Reaction Stoichiometry216
- Ch.4 - Reactions in Aqueous Solution189
- Ch.5 - Thermochemistry175
- Ch.6 - Electronic Structure of Atoms168
- Ch.7 - Periodic Properties of the Elements150
- Ch.8 - Basic Concepts of Chemical Bonding177
- Ch.9 - Molecular Geometry and Bonding Theories200
- Ch.10 - Gases179
- Ch.11 - Liquids and Intermolecular Forces113
- Ch.12 - Solids and Modern Materials154
- Ch.13 - Properties of Solutions157
- Ch.14 - Chemical Kinetics199
- Ch.15 - Chemical Equilibrium128
- Ch.16 - Acid-Base Equilibria164
- Ch.17 - Additional Aspects of Aqueous Equilibria163
- Ch.18 - Chemistry of the Environment105
- Ch.19 - Chemical Thermodynamics164
- Ch.20 - Electrochemistry171
- Ch.21 - Nuclear Chemistry122
- Ch.22 - Chemistry of the Nonmetals82
- Ch.23 - Transition Metals and Coordination Chemistry79
- Ch.24 - The Chemistry of Life: Organic and Biological Chemistry16
Brown14th EditionChemistry: The Central ScienceISBN: 9780134414232Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 14, Problem 109a
The gas-phase decomposition of ozone is thought to occur by the following two-step mechanism.
Step 1: O3(g) ⇌ O2(g) + O(g) (fast)
Step 2: O(g) + O3(g) → 2 O2 (slow)
(a) Write the balanced equation for the overall reaction.
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the reactants and products in each step of the mechanism. In Step 1, ozone (O3) decomposes into oxygen (O2) and an oxygen atom (O). In Step 2, the oxygen atom (O) reacts with another ozone molecule (O3) to form two oxygen molecules (2 O2).
Add the two steps together to find the overall reaction. This involves summing up all reactants and products from both steps.
Cancel out any intermediates that appear on both sides of the reaction. In this case, the oxygen atom (O) is an intermediate that appears as a product in Step 1 and a reactant in Step 2, so it cancels out.
Combine the remaining reactants and products to write the balanced equation for the overall reaction. After canceling the intermediate, you should have the reactants and products that represent the overall process.
Verify that the equation is balanced by ensuring that the number of each type of atom is the same on both sides of the equation. This confirms that the overall reaction is correctly represented.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Balanced Chemical Equation
A balanced chemical equation represents a chemical reaction with equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides of the equation. This ensures the law of conservation of mass is upheld, meaning that matter is neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction. Balancing involves adjusting coefficients in front of the chemical formulas to achieve this equality.
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Balancing Chemical Equations
Reaction Mechanism
A reaction mechanism is a detailed description of the steps involved in a chemical reaction, including the sequence of elementary reactions. Each step can vary in speed, with some being fast and others slow, which affects the overall rate of the reaction. Understanding the mechanism helps in predicting the products and the rate of the reaction.
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Elementary Reactions
Elementary reactions are single-step processes that describe the direct transformation of reactants into products. Each elementary reaction has its own rate law, which can be determined experimentally. In the given mechanism, the first step is fast and reversible, while the second step is slow and irreversible, influencing the overall reaction dynamics.
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Related Practice
Textbook Question
Ozone in the upper atmosphere can be destroyed by the following two-step mechanism:
Cl(g) + O3(g) → ClO(g) + O2(g)
ClO(g) + O(g) → Cl(g) + O2(g)
(a) What is the overall equation for this process?
Textbook Question
The gas-phase decomposition of ozone is thought to occur by the following two-step mechanism.
Step 1: O3(g) ⇌ O2(g) + O(g) (fast)
Step 2: O(g) + O3(g) → 2 O2 (slow)
(b) Derive the rate law that is consistent with this mechanism. (Hint: The product appears in the rate law.)
Textbook Question
The following mechanism has been proposed for the reaction of NO with H2 to form N2O and H2O:
NO(g) + NO(g) → N2O2(g)
N2O2(g) + H2(g) → N2O(g) + H2O(g)
(d) The observed rate law is rate = k[NO]2[H2]. If the proposed mechanism is correct, what can we conclude about the relative speeds of the first and second reactions?
Textbook Question
The following mechanism has been proposed for the gasphasereaction of chloroform 1CHCl32 and chlorine:Step 1: Cl21g2 Δ k1 k - 1 2 Cl1g2 1fast2Step 2: Cl1g2 + CHCl31g2 ¡k2 HCl1g2 + CCl31g2 1slow2Step 3: Cl1g2 + CCl31g2 ¡k3 CCl4 1fast2(a) What is the overall reaction?
Textbook Question
The gas-phase decomposition of ozone is thought to occur by the following two-step mechanism.
Step 1: O3(g) ⇌ O2(g) + O(g) (fast)
Step 2: O(g) + O3(g) → 2 O2 (slow)
(d) If instead the reaction occurred in a single step, would the rate law change? If so, what would it be?