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5.4: Reaction rates

  • Page ID
    4154
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    Knowing whether a reaction is thermodynamically favorable and its equilibrium constant does not tell us much (or really anything) about whether the reaction actually occurs to any significant extent under the conditions with which we are concerned. To know the reaction’s rate we need to know the reaction kinetics for the specific system with which we are dealing. Reaction kinetics tells us the rate at which the reaction actually occurs under a particular set of conditions. For example, consider a wooden log, which is composed mainly of the carbohydrate polymer cellulose (CH2O)n. In the presence of molecular oxygen (O2) the reaction:


    This page titled 5.4: Reaction rates is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Michael W. Klymkowsky and Melanie M. Cooper.

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