Provide an example of zero, first, and second order reactions.

Example of zero, first, and second order reactions.

Zero order: The rate of reaction is independent of the concentration of the reactants. Example: the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by catalase.

First order: The rate of reaction is directly proportional to the concentration of one of the reactants. Example: the decay of radioactive isotopes.

Second order: The rate of reaction is directly proportional to the concentration of two reactants or the square of the concentration of one reactant. Example: the reaction between iodine and propanone.

In zero order reactions, the rate of reaction is constant, as the concentration of the reactants does not affect the rate. This type of reaction is often seen in enzyme-catalysed reactions, where the enzyme is saturated with substrate and cannot increase the rate of reaction any further.

In first order reactions, the rate of reaction is proportional to the concentration of one of the reactants. This type of reaction is commonly seen in radioactive decay, where the rate of decay is proportional to the number of radioactive atoms present.

In second order reactions, the rate of reaction is proportional to the concentration of two reactants or the square of the concentration of one reactant. This type of reaction is often seen in chemical reactions between two molecules, where the rate of reaction is dependent on the concentration of both reactants.

Understanding the order of a reaction is important in predicting the rate of reaction and designing experiments to investigate reaction kinetics.