Use the activation energy to calculate the ratio of rate constants.

Question

A common "rule of thumb" for many reactions around room temperature is that the rate will double for each ten degree increase in temperature. Use the activation energy (64, 878.29 J/mol ) to calculate the ratio of rate constants at 300 and 310 Kelvin.)

Answer 1

ln(k1/k2) = -Ea/R(1/T1-1/T2) ... Arrhenius equation

solve for k1/k2 after substituting the given value of Ea, R=8.314 J/Kmol, and say 300and 310 for T1 and T2 respectively. The ratio

k1/k2 = 0.5 or k2/k1 = 2 would support the “rule of thumb”.