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Chemistry · Glossary

What is First-order reaction, rate constant?

Also known as: first-order reaction · rate constant

Definition 41.8 School Chemistry — Grades 1 to 12 · Chapter 41 — Reaction Rates

A reaction is a first-order reaction with respect to A if its rate of disappearance is proportional to the concentration of A at every moment:

−d[A]dt=k [A].-\frac{d[\ce{A}]}{dt} = k\,[\ce{A}] .

The positive constant kk, in min−1\mathrm{min}^{-1} or s−1\mathrm{s}^{-1}, is the rate constant; it depends on the temperature.

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