key term - Rate Constant

Definition

The rate constant (k) is a proportionality factor in kinetics equations that relates the rate of a reaction to the concentrations of reactants. Its value depends on temperature and other factors but not on concentration.

Related terms

First-Order Reaction:

A type of reaction where its rate depends on one reactant’s concentration raised to power one, much like baking one batch (or "order") of cookies would depend on having enough dough for that single batch.

Arrhenius Equation:

An equation that shows how temperature affects reaction rates and thus impacts k, similar to how changing your oven's temperature would affect cookie-baking times.

Half-Life (t1/2): The time required for the concentration of a reactant to decrease to half its initial value. It's like if you started eating your cookies at a constant rate, the half-life would be the time it takes for half of them to disappear.