Half-life

N2O5 dissolved in CCl4 decomposes to give N2O4 and O2. The reaction is first order with a half-life of 1234 seconds. How long will it take, in seconds, for the concentration of N2O5 to fall to 1.1% of its initial value?

Didn't I do this a couple of days ago for you?

k = 0.693/t1/2
Substitute and solve for k.

ln(No/N) = kt
Set any convenient number, such as 100, for No.
N, then, is 1.1% No. For No = 100, N = 1.10
k = from above.
t = solve for t in seconds.

Please do not answer this post. This question is a part of the MIT edx 3.091 solid state chemistry curriculum, and posting or using this information is in direct violation of the honor code. Thank you :)

Thank you DrBob222,

the fraction left after t seconds is (1/2)^(t/1234)

(1/2)^(t/1234) = 0.011
t = 8028.84

To find out how long it will take for the concentration of N2O5 to fall to 1.1% of its initial value, we can use the concept of half-life.

First, we need to determine the rate constant (k) for the reaction. The reaction is first order, so the half-life (t1/2) is related to the rate constant as follows:

t1/2 = (0.693 / k)

Given that the half-life is 1234 seconds, we can rearrange the equation to solve for the rate constant:

k = 0.693 / t1/2

Plugging in the given value of the half-life:

k = 0.693 / 1234

Next, we can use the rate constant to calculate the time it takes for the concentration of N2O5 to decrease to 1.1% of its initial value. The equation for a first-order reaction over time (t) is:

[N2O5]t = [N2O5]0 * e^(-kt)

Where [N2O5]t is the concentration of N2O5 at time t, [N2O5]0 is the initial concentration, k is the rate constant, and e is the base of the natural logarithm (approximately 2.71828).

In this case, we want to solve for t when [N2O5]t is 1.1% (or 0.011) of [N2O5]0:

0.011 = [N2O5]0 * e^(-kt)

Rearranging the equation, we can solve for t:

t = (-1 / k) * ln(0.011 / [N2O5]0)

Plugging in the determined rate constant (k) and assuming the initial concentration ([N2O5]0) is 100% (1.0):

t = (-1 / 0.693 / 1234) * ln(0.011 / 1.0)

Simplifying the equation, we can calculate the time it will take:

t ≈ 8871 seconds

Therefore, it will take approximately 8871 seconds for the concentration of N2O5 to fall to 1.1% of its initial value.