Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A dye fades as it reacts with hydroxide ions. The hydroxide ions are in large excess. In three runs the half-life of the dye was at of hydroxide, at and at . For the run at , find and the true rate constant . How long does 90 % of the dye take to fade in that run?
For a first order reaction, , and the fraction left after half-lives is . For a zero order reaction, . In a pseudo first order reaction, .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The pseudo first order constants. . The three runs give , and . For the run at , .
Step 2. The test. Each time the hydroxide concentration doubles, doubles. So is proportional to , and the reaction is pseudo first order.
Step 3. The true rate constant. . The other two runs give almost the same value.
Step 4. Ninety percent. .
Check. 90 % takes a little over three half-lives. Three half-lives are , a little less than . This agrees.
Answer: , and .
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