Question

What are the units of rate constant for a second order reaction?

Derive its units for second order reactions.

Answer 1

For a second-order reaction, the general rate law is:

Rate = k[A]²

or k[A][B]

The unit of rate is:

mol L⁻¹ s⁻¹

Let’s derive the unit of k:

From:

`k = "Rate"/[A]`

= `(mol L^-1 s^-1)/((mol L^-1)^2)`

= mol⁻¹ L s⁻¹