Chemical Kinetics - Chemistry (Undergraduate Foundation)

This course provides a complete guide to chemical kinetics, the study of the rates and mechanisms of chemical reactions. It covers the formal definition of reaction rate, the concept of reaction order, and the determination of rate laws from experimental data. The material also introduces the collision theory, the role of activation energy, and the Arrhenius equation. Chemical kinetics is essential for controlling chemical reactions in industrial manufacturing, pharmaceutical development, and environmental science. The principles are used to optimise production yields by speeding up desired reactions, to develop catalysts that lower energy consumption, and to understand the complex reaction pathways in atmospheric and biological systems. By the end of this course, you will be able to define the rate of a reaction and determine the rate law and rate constant from experimental data. You will also be able to use the concept of activation energy to explain the effect of temperature on reaction rate and understand the basic principles of reaction mechanisms. This course is for students who have a solid foundation in stoichiometry and chemical equilibria. It is a mandatory course for all students of chemistry and chemical engineering and is a direct prerequisite for the study of physical chemistry, industrial chemistry, and biochemistry.

Enrolment valid for 12 months

This course is also part of the following learning track. You may join the track to gain comprehensive knowledge across related courses.

CHM 101: General Chemistry I

This learning track delivers the complete NUC CCMAS curriculum for General Chemistry I. It is a comprehensive programme designed to build a robust, university-level foundation in modern chemistry. The track systematically covers all essential topics, from atomic theory, chemical bonding, and the states of matter, to the quantitative principles of stoichiometry, equilibrium, thermodynamics, and kinetics. This programme is for first-year undergraduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculties who are required to take CHM 101. It is also essential for any student or professional globally who needs a rigorous and complete foundation in first-year university chemistry for further study or career development. This track delivers a full skill set in chemical theory and quantitative problem-solving. Graduates will be able to determine molecular structures, calculate reaction quantities, analyse the energetics and rates of reactions, and solve complex equilibrium problems. This programme provides the non-negotiable prerequisite knowledge for all subsequent chemistry courses and for any degree in the physical sciences, engineering, or medicine.

Course Chapters

1. Introduction

This chapter provides the roadmap for the course. It introduces chemical kinetics as the study of the speed of chemical reactions and the factors that influence it. Key learning objectives include: understanding the overall course structure and appreciating the importance of kinetics in controlling chemical processes.

Concept Overviews

1 Lesson

2. Reaction Rates

This chapter covers the fundamental concepts of reaction speed. It provides the formal definition of a reaction rate and explains how it is measured experimentally. Key learning objectives include: defining the rate of reaction in terms of the change in concentration of reactants or products over time; and interpreting graphical data to determine average and instantaneous rates.

Concept Overviews

2 Lessons

Problem Walkthroughs

1 Lesson

3. The Rate Law

This chapter focuses on the rate law, the mathematical expression that relates the rate of a reaction to the concentration of its reactants. It covers the concepts of reaction order and the rate constant. Key learning objectives include: writing a general rate law expression; and determining the order of a reaction and the value of the rate constant from experimental data.

Concept Overviews

2 Lessons

Problem Walkthroughs

4 Lessons

4. Integrated Rate Laws

This chapter explores the relationship between concentration and time in a chemical reaction. It covers the integrated rate laws for first and second-order reactions and the concept of half-life. Key learning objectives include: using the integrated rate laws to calculate the concentration of a reactant at any time; and understanding and calculating the half-life of a reaction.

Concept Overviews

3 Lessons

Problem Walkthroughs

4 Lessons

5. Temperature and Reaction Rate

This chapter covers the effect of temperature on the speed of a chemical reaction. It introduces the collision model, activation energy, and the Arrhenius equation. Key learning objectives include: using collision theory to explain the effect of temperature and concentration on reaction rate; defining activation energy; and using the Arrhenius equation to relate the rate constant to temperature.

Concept Overviews

3 Lessons

Problem Walkthroughs

2 Lessons

6. Conclusion

This concluding chapter summarises the key concepts of chemical kinetics. It reinforces the understanding of how to experimentally determine and mathematically model the rate of a chemical reaction. This summary prepares the student for the next course, 'Electrochemistry', which involves the application of reaction rate principles to electrochemical cells.

Concept Overviews

2 Lessons