The Autocatalytic Reaction©
Theresa Julia Zielinski Department of Chemistry, Medical Technology, and Physics Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ 07764-1898 United States mail to: tzielins@monmouth.edu
Abstract
This document provides students with an introduction to the kinetics of autocatalytic reactions. A guided inquiry approach is used to help students grasp the concept of an autocatalytic reaction and to set up the differential equations for the reaction. The Runge-Kutta method is used to create a numerical solution to the differential equations. Students can systematically vary the rate constants and discover how they affect the concentration vs. time plots. A mastery exercise gives the students the opportunity to demonstrate that they understand the basic implementation of the Runge-Kutta method. Students can use this document as part of a sequence to study the major types of chemical reactions discussed in standard physical chemistry texts.
Keywords
Audiences: Upper-Division Undergraduate Pedagogies: Computer-Based Learning Domains: Physical Chemistry Topics: Chemometrics, Kinetics, Mathematics / Symbolic Mathematics, Mechanisms of Reactions
Documents
File Name Description Software Type Software Version tjzautocat.mcd Computational Document. Requires Mathcad 11 or higher. Mathcad 11 tjzautocat.pdf Read-Only Document
Comments to: Theresa Julia Zielinski tzielins@monmouth.edu.
©Copyright, Theresa Julia Zielinski, 2005. All rights reserved. You are welcome to use this document in your own classes but commercial use is not allowed without the permission of the authors.