How can you determine the rate law of the following reaction?2NO (g) + O2 (g) → 2NO2 (g)

To determine the rate law of the reaction 2NO (g) + O2 (g) → 2NO2 (g), you need to perform a series of experiments where you measure the rate of the reaction under different concentrations of the reactants. Here are the steps:

1. Set up a series of experiments where you vary the concentration of one reactant while keeping the concentration of the other reactant constant.

2. Measure the initial rate of the reaction for each experiment. This is usually done by measuring the concentration of one of the products as a function of time, and then determining the rate at which the product is formed at the beginning of the reaction.

3. Analyze the data to determine the order of the reaction with respect to each reactant. This is done by looking at how the rate of the reaction changes as the concentration of the reactant is changed.

   • If the rate doubles when the concentration of the reactant doubles, the reaction is first order with respect to that reactant.
   • If the rate quadruples when the concentration of the reactant doubles, the reaction is second order with respect to that reactant.
   • If the rate does not change when the concentration of the reactant changes, the reaction is zero order with respect to that reactant.

4. Once you have determined the order of the reaction with respect to each reactant, you can write the rate law for the reaction. The rate law expresses the rate of the reaction as a product of the concentrations of the reactants, each raised to a power equal to the order of the reaction with respect to that reactant.

For example, if the reaction is first order with respect to NO and second order with respect to O2, the rate law would be: Rate = k[NO][O2]^2

Where k is the rate constant, [NO] is the concentration of NO, and [O2] is the concentration of O2.