The kinetics of the reaction between iodine and propanone.

INTRODUCTION
The reaction between iodine and propanone follows the equation:CH3COCH3 (aq) + I2 (aq)

CH3COCH2I (aq) + H+ (aq) + I (aq)

The reaction is acid catalysed and it is first order with respect to both propanone and hydrogen ions.
AIM - to find the order of the reaction with respect to iodine.
SAFETY
Eye protection must be worn. 1M H2SO4 is corrosive. Avoid contact with the skin.
METHOD
A mixture of iodine, propanone and an excess of acid is made up. The concentration of iodine falls during
the reaction. Samples of the reaction mixture are removed at various times and the reaction is stopped in
each sample by neutralising the acid with alkali. The concentration of iodine is measured in each sample by
titration with standard sodium thiosulphate solution using a starch indicator.
Read through all the instructions before you start and prepare a piece of paper with a suitable format
for recording all your results fully and clearly.
1) Using measuring cylinders:
Put 50cm3 of 0.02M iodine solution in a LARGE conical flask
Put 25cm3 of 1.0M propanone solution and 25cm 3 of 1.0M sulphuric acid into a separate SMALL
conical flask.
2) Label 6 small conical flasks 1, 2, 3, etc. and measure out 10cm3 of 0.5M sodium hydrogencarbonate
solution into each. (This is alkaline and neutralises the acid catalyst, stopping the reaction.)
3) Stick a label on the bulb of a 10cm3 pipette, so that the TOP edge of the label is half way up the bulb.
4) Quickly pour the propanone and acid solution from the small conical flask into the large flask containing
the iodine solution and start the clock. Swirl the flask gently for 1 minute to ensure good mixing of the
contents.
5) LEAVE THE CLOCK RUNNING THROUGHOUT.
As soon as possible after mixing, use the bulb pipette and safety filler to remove 10cm 3 of the reaction
mixture from the large flask and put this into flask 1. As you do this, note the time on the clock when
half of the mixture has been added, i.e., the liquid level drops to the top of the label on the pipette bulb.
Record the time in your results table as soon as convenient.
6) Swirl the flask for at least one minute to allow the alkali to neutralise the acid and stop the reaction (CO 2
gas is given off as you swirl).
7) Repeat steps 5) and 6) so that you obtain a total of 6 samples. Try to spread out the times for removing
samples evenly over the course of the next 25 to 30 minutes.
8) Rinse a burette with distilled water and then with the standard 0.01M sodium thiosulphate solution.
9) Titrate the iodine in each flask with the sodium thiosulphate, adding 1cm3 of starch from a teat pipette as
an indicator once the colour has become pale yellow. The end point is from dark blue to colourless.
Record all your titration results.

The kinetics of the reaction between iodine and propanone.

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
Perform steps 1) to 4) for FLASK 1 ONLY. Show all your working.
Sodium thiosulphate reacts with iodine according to the following equation:2 Na2S2O3 (aq) +

I2 (aq)

Na2S4O6 (aq)

+ 2 NaI (aq)

1) Calculate the moles of sodium thiosulphate used in Flask 1.

2) Calculate the moles of iodine present in this flask.
3) Calculate the concentration of iodine, remembering that the volume of solution added
from the graduated pipette was 10cm3.
4) Calculate the percentage errors involved in:
the concentration of sodium thiosulphate

the bulb pipette volume

the burette titre

= 0.01 0.0001 mol.dm-3

= 10.0 0.1 cm3
= 0.10 cm3

Now calculate the total percentage error in the iodine concentration.

Calculate the error in the time if the clock is accurate to 0.1 second.
5) Using an Excel spreadsheet, tabulate the flask numbers, times of each sample in seconds
and titres in cm3. In the next few columns, use formulae to calculate:

Moles of thiosulphate used in titration for each flask

Moles of iodine present in each flask

Concentration of iodine in each sample

Format your table properly and add your name before printing it out.
6) Now use Excel to plot an x-y scatter graph of iodine concentration on the y-axis against
time on the x-axis. Make sure your graph has a title and that you label the axes correctly.

Now insert a suitable trend line. Display the equation of the trend line and its R 2
value on the chart.
Optional add x and y error bars to your data points using the % errors you
calculated in part 4)

Ensure your name is on the graph before you print it off.

7) Use your Excel printout with the calculated values to plot a graph by hand of iodine
concentration (y-axis) against time (x-axis). Label the axes and draw the best average
line or curve through the points.
8) Given the shape of your graph, what do you conclude about the order of this reaction with
respect to iodine? Explain your answer briefly.

The kinetics of the reaction between iodine and propanone.

EVALUATION OF EXPERIMENT
1) Reliability of Measurements
a) Were any of your results anomalous? If so, how did you allow for this when drawing the
best line on your hand-drawn graph?
b) How can you account for any anomalies? (If you had no obvious anomalies, there will
still be some slight deviation from the trend line.)
c) Are the discrepancies within the apparatus errors calculated in the Analysis section?
d) Did the use of measuring cylinders for the propanone, sulphuric acid and iodine solution
compromise the accuracy of the experiment? Briefly explain your answer.
e) What are the most important random errors in this experiment?

2) Drawing Conclusions
a) The order of the reaction with respect to iodine is 0, 1 or 2. State again what you decided
was the order in the Analysis section. Given your results, say whether you can make a
definite conclusion about this.

3) Limitations and Improvements

a) In view of the range of factors that affect the rates of chemical reactions, how might the
design of this experiment be improved?
b) What other different method(s) might be used to measure the order with respect to iodine?