CHEMICAL KINETICS: THE IODINE CLOCK REACTION
______________________________________________________________________________
ABSTRACT
This paper is a study to form an idea of how certain experimental factors affect the rates of reactions.
The experiment conducted demonstrated how the temperature, the concentration and the addition of a
catalyst affect the rate of a reaction. Through the preparation of different runs with varying concentrations of
reactants with a constant concentration of S 2O32- and the use of a starch indicator as a basis for the end of
the reaction, the chemical kinetics behind the reaction of S2O82- and I were observed.
The different runs were timed to determine the rate constant, the reaction rate, the order of the
reaction and the rate law. From the results obtained it was concluded that the reaction followed the second
order rate law, with both the sodium thiosulfate and iodide having first order. The rate of reaction was also
found to be directly affected by temperature; a higher temperature resulted in a faster reaction rate, and the
addition of a catalyst increased the rate of reaction.
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Reagent
Concentration
Potassium Iodide (KI)
0.2M
Potassium Chloride (KCl)
0.2M
Potassium Persulfate
(K2S2O8)
0.1M
Potassium Sulfate (K2SO4)
0.1M
Sodium Thiosulfate
(Na2S2O3)
Chemistry deals with the prediction and the
manipulation of chemical reactions, and the rate of
the reaction plays a significant role in this practice.
There are reactions that can happen in less than a
second, while there are others that take a long
period of time.
Chemical kinetics is the branch of
chemistry that is concerned with the mechanisms
and rates of chemical reactions. The description of
what happens to each molecule on a detailed level
is the mechanism of a chemical reaction. The
measurement of a reactions speed is known as the
rate of reaction. The rate of a chemical reaction is
measured by how fast the reactants disappear, or
by how fast the products are created [1].
4.0mM
0.1M
Copper (II) Sulfate (CuSO4)
Starch Solution
1% w/v
The concentrations of the reactants were
varied for each run as presented in table 2. The
varied amount of the solutions were done in order
to determine the effect of the concentration of the
reactants to the rate of reaction.
Table 2. The volumes of the reactants for the
different runs
BEAKER A
RUN
INTRODUCTION
BEAKER B
KI
KCl
K2S2O8
K2SO4
Na2S2O3
(mL)
(mL)
(mL)
(mL)
(mL)
10
2.5
7.5
7.5
2.5
10
The study of the rate of a chemical reaction
occurs and the factors that affect this rate.
Reactions depend on the chemical nature of the
reactants and the rates of each reaction are unique
given a set of conditions. There are four factors that
can influence the rate of a reaction one is the the
concentration and physical states of the reactants,
another is the temperature of the system and the
other is the presence of a catalyst. As discussed by
the collision theory, molecules of the reactants
should collide and mix in order to react.
The rate law is a mathematical equation
that identifies the reactions progress. The equation
relates the rate of the reaction to the rate constant
(k) and the concentration of the reactants raised to
their reaction orders.
The Iodine Clock Reaction Experiment
aims to determine how the concentration, the
temperature and the addition of a catalyst effects
the rates of reaction using the rates of different runs
of an Iodine and persulfate reaction mixture.
The experiment includes the preparation of
the following solutions in Table 1.
For Set 1 all runs were prepared. Eight
drops of the starch solution were added to beaker B
and the solutions in beaker A were poured into
beaker B marking the start of the reaction and the
Table 1. The concentration of the reagents
used
The Iodine is formed slowly until the
thiosulfate ion is used up. When the color of the
solution changes into a blue complex it is the result
of the complete consumption of the thiosulfate ion
(Equation 3). The moment that the solution turned
into a blue complex the timer was stopped.
I2 (aq) + starch blue complex (3)
Reaching the blue complex point of the
reaction depends on the concentration of the
reactants and the rates of the two reactions. If there
is anything that will speed up the first reaction then
the overall reaction will also speed up. The rate of
reaction would not be significant if the blue complex
did not appear or if the reaction turn ed blue as
soon as the reactants were mixed. The thiosulfate
ions regulate the rate at which would react to the
starch solution, therefore the rate of reaction
depends on it [3].
In order to observe the end of the reaction
the concentration of the thiosulfate must be lower
than the concentration of the persulfate and iodide
ions. Other wise, if the thiosulfate had a greater
concentration the persulfate would be consumed
first and the change in color would not be visible
[4].
The reaction is dependent on the
thiosulfate ion, therefore the rate of the reaction
may be computed using the rate of the
consumption of the thiosulfate (Equation 4).
rate = -[S2O32-]
2t
(4)
The negative sign in the equation is used
because the thiosulfate ion is used up and the
concentration will have a negative change giving
the rate a positive value. The time is doubled
because of the coeffecient of thiosulfate in Equation
2. [5]
Although, the rate of the reactions were
determined not using the rate law. Instead using the
reciprocal of the time elapsed when the blue
mixture was formed because it would produce the
same amount of I2 over the time and is directly
proportional to the rate of reaction.
recording of the reaction. The starch solution mixed
with the Iodine to form the blue complex indicating
that the Iodine was formed and marking the end of
the reaction.
For set 2 the observation of the effect of
temperature on the rate of reaction was tested. Two
sets of Run 2 (in table 1) were set up. This time the
environment of the solutions were in different
temperatures. One set of the second run was
placed in an ice bath while the other set was
heated; the set-ups had to reach the temperature of
-4 and 50 respectively. The addition of the
starch and the mixing of the solutions indicated the
start of the reaction, and the blue complex formed
marked the end.
This experiment dabbled in the effect of a
catalyst to the rate of reaction. A catalyst lowers the
activation energy of the reaction. The activation
energy is the minimum amount of energy required
for the reaction to take place [2]. To observe the
effect of a catalyst 1M of the catalyst, CuSO4, was
added for a third set of Run 2 was prepared. The
reaction was recorded as the catalyst was added
and the contents of Beaker A and B were mixed,
and the blue complex that formed marked the end
of the reaction.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The Iodine Clock reaction records how long
it takes for a fixed amount of the thiosulfate ions to
be consumed. In the reaction there are two
processes simultaneously occurring. The first
process is a slow reaction that produces the iodine
(Equation 1).
S2O82- (aq) + 2I- (aq) I2 (aq) + 2SO42-
(1)
The Iodine produced is never seen
because it is immediately used up in a very fast
process that reduces it back into the colourless
iodide ion (Equation 2).
I2 (aq) + 2S2O32- (aq) S4O62- (aq) + 2I- (aq) (2)
concentration of the reactants and raised to their
reaction orders. [6] Which looks like this
28
Rate = k [S2O ][I-]
(5)
Reaction orders may also be determine
graphically through plotting of ln (rate) vs. ln
(concentration of the reactants). Figure 1 is the
graph of the obtained equation y = 0.318x + 1.443
and linearity value of R2 = 0.9966. The determined
value of the slope is the reaction order of
S2O82- to be 1.
Table 3. Effect of the Concentration on the rate
of reaction
S2O82- IM
M
S2O32M
0.033
0.2 1.33x10-3
27.83 3.5X10-2
0.033
0.2 1.33x10-3
44.63 2.2x10-2
0.033 0.05 1.33x10-3
101.2 9.9x10-3
4
0.033
0.1 1.33x10-3
25.08 4.0x10-2
0.033
0.1 1.33x10-3
18.83 5.3x10-2
2-
Figure 1. The relationship of [S2O8 ] and the rate
ln rate
Figure 2 is the graph obtained from the
equation y = 2.189x + 1.964 with a linearity value of
R2 = 0.9952. The slope of the line is the reaction
order of I- which is approximately equal to 1.
Rxn
Rate, Mstime, s 1
In set 1, the concentration of persulfate w
1.6
1.2
Figure 2. The relationship of [I-] and the rate
ln[S2O82-]
0.8
ln rate
0.4
Based on the values obtained from the
graphs the rate law can be established as
2- 1
Rate = k [S2O8 ] [I-]
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
The Iodine Clock Reaction was an
experiment that tested three factors that affect the
rate of reaction, more specifically: the
concentration, the temperature and the use of a
catalyst.
0
0.318
as constant for runs 1, 2 and 3 while the
concentration of iodide was the constant for runs 2,
4 and 5. The final concentration of the ions were
calculated from the molar concentration and
volumes of each solution in every run. Using the
initial rate method the reaction orders of persulfate
and iodide were calculated.
The reaction order calculated for persulfate
was close to 1 and for iodide was 1 making the
overall reaction order to be 2. The rate law is
expressed as the rate constant multiplied by the
The values that are obtained
2.5
Varying the concentration of the reactants
may affect the average reaction time as well as the
rate of the reaction. Increasing the temperature
increases reaction rates because of the
disproportionately large increase in the number of
high frequency collisions. It is only these collisions
if they possess the activation energy for the
reaction that will result in a reaction. The addition of
a catalyst lowers the activation energy of the
reaction allowing it to proceed faster.
1.5
ln[I-]
0.5
0
2.189
may vary depending on the factors that may affect
the reaction. For one, an inaccurate timer may be a
liable source for error, other factors could be the
thermometer which could change the temperature
that is recorded.
The results obtained and presented
through this experiment are not too far off from
[3] [4] Harris, D.C. 2011. Quantitative Chemical
Analysis: Eight Edition. New York: W.H. Freeman
Company. 347.
[5] [6] Upadhyay, S.K. 2006. Chemical Kinetics and
Reaction Dynamics. New York: Anamaya
Publishers. 2-6
other experimental findings. The differences may
be accounted for as errors and misreadings of data.
REFERENCES
[1] Chang, R. 2007. Chemistry: Ninth Edition. New
York: McGraw Hill. 549-553.
[2] "CHEM 1112 . Kinetics of the Persulfate
iodide Clock Reaction. Web.
<[Link]
[Link]>.
APPENDIX A - List of Tables
Table 1. The concentration of the reagents used
Table 2. The volumes of the reactants for the different runs
Table 3. Effect of the concentration on the rate of reaction
APPENDIX B - List of Figures
Figure 1. The relationship of [S2O82-] and the rate
APPENDIX B- SAMPLE CALCULATIONS
Rate Orders
Rate = k [S2O82-]m[I-]n
3.5X10-2 = k(0.033)m(0.2)n
2.2x10-2
k(0.033)m(0.1)n
n = 0.7955
4.0X10-2 = k(0.033)m(0.1)1
2.2x10-2
k(0.033)m(0.1)1
m=1
Rate Constant
Run 2: 0.033 M persulfate 0.1
M iodide
k=
2
(0.1)
rate
=
2.2x10k = 6.6666667
[I ][S2O82-]
(0.033)
Solution Preparations
For 500mL 0.2M KI
500mL x 1L
x 0.2M x
166g = 16.6g
1000mL
1mol
REFERENCES
