AP Chemistry Flashcards: Introduction to Rate Law
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 14 cards to help you master important concepts.
What is the Method of Initial Rates?
It is an experimental method used to determine reaction orders by comparing the initial rates of a reaction while varying the initial concentrations of reactants one at a time.
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What is the Method of Initial Rates?
It is an experimental method used to determine reaction orders by comparing the initial rates of a reaction while varying the initial concentrations of reactants one at a time.
What is the relationship between temperature and the rate constant (k)?
The value of the rate constant (k) is temperature dependent; changing the temperature will change the value of k.
Using the Method of Initial Rates, how do you find the order for a specific reactant?
You compare the initial rates between two trials where only the concentration of that specific reactant has been changed, while all other reactant concentrations are held constant.
How is the overall reaction order determined?
The overall reaction order is calculated by taking the sum of the individual reaction orders (the powers) for each reactant in the rate law.
If doubling the concentration of reactant X doubles the reaction rate, what is the reaction order with respect to X?
The reaction is first order with respect to reactant X.
What two key components are related by the rate law expression?
The rate law expression relates the rate of a reaction to the concentration of its reactants.
How is a rate law expression for a reaction determined?
A rate law expression must be constructed based on experimental data that shows how rate changes with reactant concentrations.
For a reaction with the rate law: Rate = k[A]^2[B], what is the overall reaction order?
The overall reaction order is 3, which is the sum of the order for A (2) and the order for B (1).
What is the rate constant (k)?
The rate constant (k) is the proportionality constant in the rate law. Its value is dependent on temperature.
What is the purpose of monitoring reactant and/or product amounts over time?
Monitoring these amounts provides the experimental data needed to determine the rate of the reaction and its corresponding rate law.
What information do the units of the rate constant (k) provide?
The units of the rate constant (k) reflect the overall order of the reaction.
Define 'overall order of the reaction'.
The overall order of a reaction is the sum of the powers of the reactant concentrations in the experimentally determined rate law.
What is the reaction order?
The reaction order is the power to which a reactant's concentration is raised in the rate law expression.
What is a rate law?
The rate law is an expression that shows how the rate of a reaction is proportional to the concentration of each reactant raised to a specific power.