Chlorine dioxide decomposes to chlorine and oxygen according to the following mechanism:
ClO 2 → ClO + O (fast)
ClO 2 + O → ClO 3 (fast)
ClO 3 + ClO → Cl 2 + 2 O 2 (slow)
(a) What is the overall reaction?
(b) What is the molecularity of each step?
(c) Write the rate equation for the rate-determining step.
(d) What are the intermediates in this reaction? (If none, write “none.”)
a)I got 2CL02--->CL2+2O2
B)BIMOLECULAR for all of them
c)K[CLO]?
d)O,ClO3,CLO
PLEASE let me know of my answers are correct
a and d are right. The other two are wrong.
a) Your overall reaction is correct: 2 ClO2 → Cl2 + 2 O2.
b) The molecularity refers to the number of reactant particles involved in a particular step of a reaction. Based on the given mechanism:
- The first step is unimolecular: ClO2 → ClO + O.
- The second step is also unimolecular: ClO2 + O → ClO3.
- The third step is bimolecular: ClO3 + ClO → Cl2 + 2 O2.
c) The rate equation for the rate-determining step can be determined by looking at the slowest step, which is the third step of the mechanism: ClO3 + ClO → Cl2 + 2 O2. The rate equation for this step can be written as:
rate = k[ClO3][ClO]
d) According to the given mechanism, the intermediates are ClO and ClO3. Therefore, your answer is correct.