Chemistry IA help

[eri.tse]

Hi,

So basically for my IA, I'd like to do something to do with glow sticks and the kinetics of it and based on the website below it says I can plot ln(light intensity) vs. 1/T. Could anyone point me in the right direction in terms of this/verify that this is correct? I've never heard that you can plot ln(light intensity) vs. 1/T and I've been unable to find any other experiments that do this? Any help would be appreciated, thank you!

http://www-chem.ucsd.edu/undergraduate/teaching-labs/demos/demo16.html

[kw0573]

This concept comes from the Arrhenius equation. The equation should come up quite often in labs about activation energy.

Edited July 22, 2017 by kw0573

[eri.tse]

It's just that I thought that the k had to be something to do with concentration, but I guess from what you are saying that is not the case? 

In any case, would you mind explaining or directing me to a good explanation of steady-state approximation?

Thanks. 

[kw0573]

k is just a constant of proportionality in a rate law. Arrhenius equation is empirically derived to show how k is temperature-dependent.

The steady state approximation is applicable when the intermediate is consumed and produced at the same rate. This is especially true if the step producing the intermediate is in equilibrium and does not proceed to completion. 

Mathematically, the assumption is that d[intermediate] / dt = 0. 

I like LibreTexts and chemguide.co.uk. https://chem.libretexts.org/Core/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry/Kinetics/Rate_Laws/Reaction_Mechanisms/Reaction_Mechanisms