In chemistry, a zero-order reaction is a type of reaction where the rate of reaction is constant and independent of the concentration of the reactants. This means that the reaction proceeds at a constant rate regardless of how much reactant is present.
For a zero-order reaction, the rate law can be expressed as:
\[ \text{Rate} = k \]
Here, \( k \) is the zero-order rate constant, which is a measure of the rate at which the reaction occurs. In zero-order reactions, this rate constant has units of concentration per time (e.g., M/s for molarity per second).
The integrated rate law for a zero-order reaction can be derived from the rate law and is given by:
\[ [A] = [A]_0 - kt \]
where:
- \([A]\) is the concentration of the reactant at time \( t \),
- \([A]_0\) is the initial concentration of the reactant,
- \( k \) is the zero-order rate constant,
- \( t \) is the time elapsed.
This equation tells you how the concentration of the reactant changes over time in a zero-order reaction. It shows a linear relationship between the concentration of the reactant and time.
The half-life of a zero-order reaction, which is the time required for the concentration of the reactant to reduce to half of its initial value, can be calculated using the following formula:
\[ t_{1/2} = \frac{[A]_0}{2k} \]
This indicates that the half-life of a zero-order reaction is directly proportional to the initial concentration of the reactant and inversely proportional to the rate constant. As the reaction proceeds, the concentration of the reactant decreases linearly with time, which is a distinctive characteristic of zero-order kinetics.