Rate of Reaction and Rate Constant are two important concepts in chemical kinetics that describe different aspects of how chemical reactions occur. Here are four key differences between them:
Definition:
Rate of Reaction: Rate of reaction (or reaction rate) is the measure of how quickly reactants are being converted into products over time. It is expressed as the change in concentration of reactants or products per unit time.
Rate Constant: Rate constant (k) is a constant value specific to a particular reaction at a given temperature. It represents the proportionality between the rate of reaction and the concentrations of reactants raised to their respective reaction orders.
Units:
Rate of Reaction: The units of rate of reaction depend on the stoichiometry of the reaction and the concentration units used. It is typically expressed in units like M/s (molarity per second) or mol/L·s (moles per liter per second).
Rate Constant: The units of the rate constant depend on the overall reaction order. For a first-order reaction, it has units of s⁻¹ (per second). For second-order reactions, it has units of L/mol·s (per mole per second), and so on.
Temperature Dependency:
Rate of Reaction: The rate of reaction is highly temperature-dependent and usually follows the Arrhenius equation, where an increase in temperature generally leads to an increase in the rate of reaction.
Rate Constant: The rate constant is exponentially dependent on temperature according to the Arrhenius equation. A small change in temperature can significantly affect the value of the rate constant.
Concentration Dependency:
Rate of Reaction: The rate of reaction depends on the concentrations of the reactants. Increasing the concentration of reactants typically leads to an increase in the rate of reaction, assuming the reaction follows a simple reaction order.
Rate Constant: The rate constant is independent of the initial concentrations of reactants once the temperature is fixed. It is a characteristic property of a specific reaction and is not affected by changes in reactant concentrations.
In summary, the rate of reaction deals with the change in concentration of reactants or products over time and is dependent on reactant concentrations, while the rate constant is a constant specific to a particular reaction at a given temperature and is highly dependent on temperature but not on reactant concentrations.