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JEE Advanced 2020 Paper 2 · Chemistry · Chemical Kinetics · hard

A substance A decomposes by two parallel first-order paths, A→ B (activation energy 60 kJ mol^-1) and A→ C (activation energy 80 kJ mol^-1). At 300 K…

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A substance A\mathrm{A} decomposes by two parallel first-order paths, A→B\mathrm{A\to B} (activation energy 60 kJ mol−160\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}) and A→C\mathrm{A\to C} (activation energy 80 kJ mol−180\ \mathrm{kJ\,mol^{-1}}). At 300 K300\ \mathrm{K} the product ratio is [B]/[C]=2.0[\mathrm{B}]/[\mathrm{C}]=2.0. Assuming temperature-independent pre-exponential factors and R=8.314 J mol−1K−1R=8.314\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}K^{-1}}, the ratio [B]/[C][\mathrm{B}]/[\mathrm{C}] at 350 K350\ \mathrm{K} is ______. (Give the answer correct to two decimal places.)
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Answer: 0.64

For parallel first-order paths the ratio of products formed equals the ratio of the rate constants at all times, so [B][C]=k1k2=A1A2e−(E1−E2)/RT\dfrac{[\mathrm{B}]}{[\mathrm{C}]}=\dfrac{k_1}{k_2}=\dfrac{A_1}{A_2}e^{-(E_1-E_2)/RT}. The pre-exponential factors are treated as temperature independent, so taking the ratio at the two temperatures gives ln⁡(k1/k2)350(k1/k2)300=−E1−E2R(1350−1300)\ln\dfrac{(k_1/k_2)_{350}}{(k_1/k_2)_{300}}=-\dfrac{E_1-E_2}{R}\left(\dfrac1{350}-\dfrac1{300}\right). With E1−E2=−20000 J mol−1E_1-E_2=-20000\ \mathrm{J\,mol^{-1}} the right side is 200008.314×(0.0028571−0.0033333)=2405.6×(−4.762×10−4)=−1.1456\dfrac{20000}{8.314}\times(0.0028571-0.0033333)=2405.6\times(-4.762\times10^{-4})=-1.1456. Hence the ratio at 350 K350\ \mathrm{K} is 2.0×e−1.1456=2.0×0.3181=0.642.0\times e^{-1.1456}=2.0\times0.3181=0.64. The path with the higher activation energy gains ground as the temperature rises: k1/k2k_1/k_2 at 350 K350\ \mathrm{K} is e−1.1456≈0.32e^{-1.1456}\approx0.32 times its 300 K300\ \mathrm{K} value of 2.02.0, so the product C\mathrm{C}, which needs the larger barrier, is favoured more strongly at higher temperature.
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