A student performed two side-by-side reactions to test the decomposition of N2O5. The only difference between the two reactions was reactant concentration — reaction 1 started with 2 M N2O5 and reaction 2 started with 1.2 M. Which of the following statements would be true of these two reactions?

A. The rate constant k will be the same for each reaction.
B. The rate constant k will depend on the order of the reaction.
C. The rate constant k will be different for each reaction.
D. The rate constant k will depend on the concentration of reactants.

I'm guessing A

You should not have to guess: of course it is A. The rate constant is given by

k = A* e (− Ea /RT ) depending on temperature

Well, let's take a closer look at it. In the two reactions, the only difference is the reactant concentration. Now, let me ask you a question. Do clowns perform the same tricks with different-sized balloons? No way! It's all about proportions and balancing, my friend! So, in chemistry terms, the rate constant, k, depends on the specific reaction conditions, including the concentration of the reactants. Therefore, the correct answer is D. You got it, just like a clown juggling different-sized balls!

The correct answer is C. The rate constant, denoted as k, will be different for each reaction.

To determine which statement is true of the two reactions, we need to consider the effect of reactant concentration on the rate constant (k) in a chemical reaction. The rate constant is a proportionality constant that relates the concentrations of reactants to the rate of reaction.

In this case, the student performed two side-by-side reactions with different reactant concentrations. According to the principles of chemical kinetics, the rate constant remains constant for a given reaction at a specific temperature. Therefore, the correct statement regarding these two reactions is:

A. The rate constant k will be the same for each reaction.

To reach this conclusion, the student should have made observations and measurements regarding the rates of the reactions. By comparing the rates at which the reactions took place, they could have determined that the rate constant is unaffected by changes in reactant concentrations.