CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

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Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction

By completing all parts of this lab, you will collect data on the rate of the iodine clock reaction
with varying initial reactant concentrations to determine the rate law for this reaction.

You will work and discuss in pairs for this lab, Before your lab...
BUT you will individually submit a completed 1. Read briefly through…
report. ü Lab 2 (this document)

Complete your lab Worksheet at home within 2. Complete…

one week after your lab session. Upload the ü Pre-lab 2 (D2L quiz), with a score of
Worksheet file (as a PDF) to Gradescope by 50% or higher
the starting time of your lab section. ü Questions P1 and P2 in this
document – Page 10. You will need
these ideas and values in the lab, so
What laboratory techniques and skills will you come prepared! The pre-lab quiz is
practice? closely related and will help.
• Collecting data in a timed experiment ü All parts of Lab 0, if you haven’t yet
• Preparing solutions in volumetric
glassware You will not be allowed to
enter the lab if Lab 0 is
• Conducting experiments at a microscale incomplete or you have not
passed the Lab 2 pre-lab quiz.
What chemical concepts will you apply? Contact your TA or lab
coordinator if you have
• Concentration & dilution issues with either task.
• Relative rates of reaction
UCalgary Chemistry Textbook: If concepts are unclear or new, refer to the
7.1.3 - Relative Rates of Reaction course textbook to review them.
OpenStax 2e
12.1 - Relative Rates of Reaction On your lab day...
• Using the method of initial rates to • Wear clothes & footwear that covers
determine rate laws any exposed skin below the hem of the
UCalgary Chemistry Textbook: lab coat, including your ankles.
7.3.3 - Method of Initial Rates • Bring your lab coat & safety glasses
OpenStax 2e • Bring printed copies of...
12.3 - Rate Laws
ü Lab 2
ü Lab Appendix G
What communication and reporting skills will
• Bring a pen (not pencil) and scientific
you use? calculator
• Recording data and observations
• Arrive at least 5-minutes early
• Presenting data and results in tables
• Describing assumptions and uncertainty in
experimental design

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CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

Key Safety Information

Hydrochloric acid (HCℓ) solutions are corrosive at 6 M concentrations.
We are handling it with care and only in small quantities. Wash your
hands immediately if your skin comes in contact with the solution. At
this concentration, it can also give off vapours that act as respiratory or
Corrosive Irritant
eye irritants, so it should be handled strictly in the fumehood.

Always add acids to water when preparing or diluting solutions – this

process is exothermic and can result in dangerous splashing water is
added directly to concentrated acids.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can cause short-term (acute) aquatic

toxicity, depending on concentration. Follow appropriate disposal
procedures.
Aquatic Irritant
Potassium iodide (KI) can cause serious eye irritation. Avoid contact
toxicity
with eyes.

ADDITIONAL SAFETY NOTES FOR SAFE HANDLING & DISPOSAL ARE EMBEDDED AT THE RELEVANT POINTS IN THE PROCEDURE.

Background
Describing the reactions for the iodine clock and corresponding rate laws

In this experiment, you will study a series of reactions commonly known as an “iodine clock,” named
because we can track the time it takes to produce a certain about of iodine, I2.¹

The primary reaction we will study is shown in reaction [1], below.

2 H+ (aq) + 2 I⁻ (aq) + H2O2 (aq) → I2 (aq) + 2 H2O (ℓ) [1]

This reaction is relatively ‘slow’ in kinetic terms, so it can be readily studied with a stopwatch. Our
goal in this experiment is to determine the rate law for this primary reaction, which we can write
generally as,

𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 = 𝑘[𝐻 ! ]" [𝐼 # ]$ [𝐻% 𝑂% ]& [2]

The rate law in this form will allow us to express how much a change in the concentrations of each of
our reactants impacts the rate or speed of the reaction.

As you have learned in-class, reactions like this one often happen in several mechanistic steps before
arriving at this overall reaction. Since we do not know the mechanism here, we must determine the
rate law experimentally. To do so, we need to be able to observe or measure how quickly our

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CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

reaction is taking place – for example, by measuring how much product is made in a given time, or,
how much time it takes to yield a given amount of product.

Unfortunately, none of the reactants or products has a distinct visual appearance we can track.
Instead, we must track the progress of reaction [1] indirectly – by reacting the products to make new
compounds that we can visualize.

To track the progress of reaction [1], we will rely on two competing reactions where iodine (I2) is a
reactant:

I2 (aq) + 2 S2O32⁻ (aq) → 2 I⁻ (aq) + S4O62⁻ (aq) [3]

vs.

I2 (aq) + I⁻ (aq) → I3⁻ (aq) [4]

yellow-brown
If there are any thiosulfate ions S2O32⁻ present, reaction [3] occurs as soon as any I2 is produced by
our primary reaction. Reaction [3] has a much higher reaction rate than Reaction [1]. Reaction [3]
very quickly turns our previously produced I2 back into I⁻ which can then repeat our slower reaction,
reaction [1], and so on. Again, all the reactants and products in Reactions [1] and [3] are colourless.

Once all the S₂O₃²⁻ has been used up, any additional I2
produced by our primary reaction will instead undergo
Reaction [4]. As soon as you see the yellow colour of Timing note
triiodide I3⁻ appear, you know that enough I2 was
produced by our primary reaction to use up any S₂O₃²⁻ The first hint of yellow colour tells us
initially added. In other words, if we know both (i) how when Reaction [4] first begins. If too much
much S₂O₃²⁻ was added and (ii) how much time it took triiodide has formed, your paper will turn
to turn yellow, we can relate these to the rate for brown.3
Reaction 1.

In this lab, we will conduct all of our reactions at a ‘microscale’ or with small amounts of reagents.
Instead of mixing large volumes of our solutions in traditional laboratory glassware like you used in
Lab 1, we will mix small amounts of solution together on a piece of filter paper³ that provides a high
contrast surface to detect the appearance of colour.

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CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

Determining the rate law using the method of initial rates

Now that we know something about how we can track the rate at which I2 is produced by Reaction
[1], how can we use this information to determine the rate law?

First, let’s focus on the rate you’ll measure, the rate of disappearance or consumption of S₂O₃²⁻. You
can determine the average rate at which it is used up in Reaction 3 in each experiment as follows:

∆"𝑆! 𝑂" !# % 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑆! 𝑂" !# 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑝

=
∆𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑢𝑝 𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑆! 𝑂" !#

Notice that since the yellow colour only appears once all S₂O₃²⁻ has been used, we know that the final
concentration of S₂O₃²⁻ is zero when you stop your stopwatch. Since you know the initial
concentration of S₂O₃²⁻ at the start of your reaction, these facts combine to help you calculate the
amount of S₂O₃²⁻ used up during that time.

Next, how can you relate the rate of consumption of S₂O₃²⁻ to the rate(s) involved in our primary
reaction? In Reaction [3], we know that the rates at which our two reactants are used up will be
different, since they have different stoichiometric coefficients.

For example, we can relate the average rate of

reaction (rate, in mol·rxn per L per time) to either the
Prelab: Related rates
average rate of consumption of the reactant S₂O₃²⁻ or A key question in your pre-lab quiz will
to the average rate of production of the product ask you to connect related rates – review
S4O6²⁻ by dividing by their respective coefficients. this in your textbook and consult with
your TA before coming to the lab.
−1 ∆"𝑆! 𝑂" !# % +1 ∆"𝑆$ 𝑂% !# %
𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 = ∙ = ∙ UCalgary Chemistry Textbook:
2 ∆𝑡 1 ∆𝑡 7.1.3 - Relative Rates of Reaction
OpenStax 2e
Since we’re most interested in how this reaction uses 12.1 - Relative Rates of Reaction
up the I2, your task will be to find how the rates of
change for S₂O₃²⁻ and I2 are related.

Now, what about relating this back to Reaction [1], which is the focus of our experiment? Since I2 is
produced in Reaction [1] and immediately consumed in the much faster Reaction [3], we can make
the assumption that it is being used up at the same rate that it was produced.

∆[𝐼! ] ∆[𝐼! ]
𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 3 ≈ 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 1
∆𝑡 ∆𝑡
But wait – all rates described so far are average rates! Rate laws, like the one we are trying to
determine, are based on instantaneous rates. Only the initial rate(s) in Reaction [1] can be related to
initial concentrations of our reactants, and used to find the rate law.

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CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

In this case, we need to rely on smart experimental design.

• If we add only a very small amount of S₂O₃²⁻ to our reaction, very little I2 production (from
Reaction [1]) will be needed to use up all the S₂O₃²⁻ and trigger a colour change.
• If very little I2 has been produced, very little of the reactants in Reaction [1] will be used up at
the time we measure our rate. In other words, the concentrations barely change during our
timed run.

𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 ≈ 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑑

• If the reactant concentrations aren’t changing, the average rate(s) over that time interval will
be the same as the instantaneous rate(s) over that same time.
In other words, up until the time the colour appears,

∆[𝐼! ] ∆[𝐼! ]
𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 [1] ≈ 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 [1]
∆𝑡 ∆𝑡
and we can use what we know about related rates again to find the rate of reaction.

Finally, to determine the rate law, you will use a version of the method of initial rates. You will
compare trials or ‘runs’ with different initial concentrations of the reactants from Reaction [1], but
equal amounts of our ‘timer’ chemical, S₂O₃²⁻. By comparing pairs of runs where you varied the
concentration of a single reactant, you can determine how much of an impact each specific reactant
had on the rate you measured.

To simplify your task, we have already determined the order with respect to [H+], or the unknown a in
your rate law [2]. At room temperature and near the concentrations we will be exploring, the rate
law should be 1st order in H⁺ – that means we can re-write the rate law as shown: ²

𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 = 𝑘[𝐻 ! ]' [𝐼 # ]$ [𝐻% 𝑂% ]& [6]

Your task in this lab will be to determine all three remaining unknowns: the orders b and c, as well as
the rate constant, k.

Background References Cited

1. Sattsagi, P.D. A Microscale Approach to Chemical Kinetics in the General Chemistry Laboratory: The Potassium Hydrogen
Peroxide Iodine-Clock Reaction. J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88(2), 184-188.
2. Copper, C. L., Koubek, E. A Kinetics Experiment to Demonstrate the Role of a Catalyst in a Chemical Reaction: A Versatile
Exercise for General or Physical Chemistry Students. J. Chem. Educ. 1998, 75(1), 87–90.
3. Barrera, L.A., Escobosa, A.C., Alsaihati, L.S. and Noveron, J.C. Conducting a Low-Waste Iodine Clock Experiment on Filter
Paper to Discern the Rate Law. J. Chem. Educ. 2019, 96(1), 165-168.

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CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

Procedure
Take notes in the margins during the lab presentation, especially when your TA provides suggestions for
time management.

Part 1: Preparation

1. Sign out a Supplementary Equipment Tray from your TA.

2. Divide each circle of filter paper into quarters – since the reactions are microscale, it would be
wasteful to use a full sheet for each run. You will need a total of 21 quarter-sized pieces.

3. Clean and dry three 50-mL beakers. Label them

clearly and use them collect each of the three
stock solutions you need. Safety notes
a. Deliver one pump (10.0 mL) of ~0.005 M 1. You will work with many clear,
Na₂S₂O₃ (aq) into a labelled beaker. colourless liquids in this lab. It is
critical to Label all beakers and
b. Deliver one pump (12.5 mL) of ~0.2 M KI (aq) flasks with the solution and
into a labelled beaker. concentration they contain.

2. The pumps used for stock solutions

c. Deliver one pump (12.5 mL) of ~0.1 M
are delicate and precisely
H₂O₂ (aq) into a labelled beaker. Before
calibrated. Treat the pumps with
returning to your lab bench, add 10 drops of
care and do not adjust any settings.
6 M HCℓ (aq) to this solution and mix well.
3. 6 M HCℓ (aq) can give off irritant
d. Store a clean eyedropper in each beaker and vapours. It should be handled only
set each aside until Part 2. in the Fume Hood.

4. The concentrations described in step 3, above, are

approximate and may vary between semesters. Record the actual or exact concentrations of
each stock solution into Data Table 1 of your worksheet.

5. Prepare dilute solutions of KI (aq) and H₂O₂ (aq), as follows:

a. Label a 25.00 mL volumetric flask. Deliver one pump (12.5 mL) of stock 0.1 M H₂O₂ (aq)
directly into the flask and add 10 drops of 6 M HCℓ. Dilute to the mark with RO water and
mix well. Pour a portion this solution into a labelled 100 mL beaker so that you can easily
access the solution with an eyedropper.

b. Label a 25.00 mL volumetric flask. Deliver one pump (12.5 mL) of stock 0.2 M KI (aq) directly
into the flask and dilute to the mark with RO water. Mix well. Pour a portion this solution
into a labelled 100 mL beaker so that you can easily access the solution with an eyedropper.

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CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

Part 2: Collecting kinetics measurements

In this part, you will measure the time required to detect a colour-change, i.e. to use up any initially
added S₂O₃²⁻. You will perform four “Runs,” each with different initial amounts of your reactants –
each run will be repeated multiple times or “trials”, to average out random measurement error.
Procedure Table 1, below, gives an overview of the composition of each run.

Procedure Table 1: Overview of Run Compositions

For each run, add reagents in sequence from left to right in this table. For reference, 1 drop ≈ 1.0 × 101 µL.

Dilute Stock
Stock Dilute Stock
Solution H₂O₂ (aq) H₂O₂ (aq)
Na₂S₂O₃ (aq) KI (aq) KI (aq)
pre-mixed with H+ pre-mixed with H+
Run 1 1 drop 2 drops ----- ----- 2 drops
Run 2 1 drop ----- 2 drops ----- 2 drops
Run 3 1 drop ----- 2 drops 1 drop -----
Run 4 1 drop ----- 2 drops ----- 1 drop

6. Place a watch glass on top of the white tile from your equipment drawer to give an area of
high visibility for your runs.

7. Place a quarter-piece of filter paper on top of the watch glass. Use a pencil to mark the filter
paper with an ‘x’ to mark the center or target area for adding your reagents (Figure 1A).

1A: Before reaction starts 1B: First hint of brown appears 1C: Too much brown is seen 1D: Extreme example of brown

Figure 1: Appearance of filter paper over time

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CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

8. Practice run: Try a practice run to record visual observations in Data Table 2. Your practice run
will follow the amounts for Run 1 in Procedure Table 1 (above).
a. Assign tasks to each partner for each run – one partner will add reactants while the other
operates the stopwatch.
b. When adding each reactant, hold the eyedropper between 0.5-1” above the filter paper.
Too close and you risk contaminating the tip of the dropper by accidentally touching the
surface. Too far and you risk your drops being added off-target.
c. Get ready with the stopwatch. Make sure you have practiced how to start, stop, and reset
before you begin.
d. Add each reactant in order, moving from left to right across the table for Run 1. Use Data
Table 2 on your Lab 5 Worksheet for writing observations.
e. TIMING:
• Start timing at the moment the first drop of H₂O₂ solution is added.
• Stop timing when you see the first hint of yellow-brown colour appear on the filter
paper.
9. Repeat the same steps (a-e) as the Practice Run,
but now focus on recording the time for each Safety note
run and each trial in Data Table 3.
a. Make sure to clean the watch glass Handle filter paper by the edges.
between each trial, including after your
Place used/waste filter paper
practice run.
temporarily into a waste beaker or on
b. Use a new piece of filter paper for each top of a paper towel as you proceed to
trial. the next trial. At the end of the lab, you
will dispose them in the solid chemical
c. You will repeat each run 5 times, before
waste container.
moving onto a different run, for a total of
20 timed trials (not including your practice). Placing filter paper onto the benchtop
d. If you notice visual differences during your can transfer chemicals onto the surface
kinetic runs, note these in Data Table 2. – iodine compounds can stain.

Part 3: Appropriate cleanup & waste disposal

1. When the experiments are completed, dispose of your collected used filter papers in the
designated solid chemical waste container. Excess solution should be disposed of in the
inorganic/aqueous chemical waste container.
2. Wash all glassware thoroughly and return all equipment to your drawer. Tidy up communal areas
in the lab. Return your cleaned Supplementary Equipment Tray, and have your lab TA check the
contents and sign it back in.
3. Ask your TA to sign your data. If you have time, spend a moment looking over the rest of the
Worksheet before you leave.

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CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

CHEM 203 Lab 2 Activity Worksheet

Your full name UCID #

Lab partner name Date of experiment

Lab section number

Write all answers in the boxes provided.

Any work written outside of the boxes cannot be graded.

Submit all SEVEN worksheet pages (Page 9-15) as a single document.

DUE DATE: One week after your lab period, at the regular start time for your lab.

GRADESCOPE SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

Before you submit, make sure that…
q Your work is saved as a SINGLE PDF document, on the template provided.
q Your PDF includes all seven worksheet pages, including this cover page.
q Pages are in sequential order and correctly oriented (not rotated or flipped!).
q Data tables with TA initials are included without rewriting.
q Corrections are made by crossing out errors with a single line and writing the new answer next
to it. Never use white-out or otherwise erase or obscure original data.
q All answers fit into the template boxes provided. All answers (handwritten or typed) should
follow the length guidelines – overly long answers may lose points for clarity.
q Your PDF is your correct, final version – not an earlier draft.

Grade deductions may apply if your submission for this report does not meet all these criteria.

Academic Integrity Note: Remember, even though you collected your data with a partner, your worksheet
should be completed individually. You should use your own data, and you may consult the lab manual, lab
appendices, lecture notes, course textbook, and your TA.

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CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

Pre-laboratory preparation
As part of your pre-lab quiz on D2L, you were asked questions about calculations you will use in the lab. Before
you arrive at the lab, use the feedback received on your quiz to layout the sample calculations below so you can
repeat them confidently during the lab period. Show all work for full credit.

P1. Dilution calculation (Part 1 – Page 6)

Show how you will calculate the concentration of the diluted H₂O₂ solution prepared in step 5A.
Once you know the actual stock concentrations in your lab room, you will repeat this calculation and
write the answer in Data Table 1 in this worksheet (next page).

P2. Initial run concentration calculation (Part 2 – Page 7)

Show a sample of how you will calculate the initial concentration [H2O2] in Run 3 of Procedure Table 1.
Notice that you will use your value from P1 as part of this calculation.
Hints: All the volumes you’ll mix together are listed the Run 3 row of Procedure Table 1.
As noted in Procedure Table 1, 1 drop ≈ 1.0 × 101 µL.
Keep 3 significant digits in your answer here – this answer is an intermediate value, used again
for later calculations, so we don’t want to round before those calculations are done!
Your final answer (using the actual concentrations in the lab) will go into in the highlighted box
in Analysis Table 1 (Page 13).

You will repeat a similar calculation to determine all initial concentrations in Analysis Table 1 – make sure you
use the actual concentrations from your laboratory room, as recorded in Data Table 1 (not the approximate
concentrations from your procedure).

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CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

Data and Results

Data recorded during lab - All pages in the laboratory worksheet must be handwritten in ink.
Data Table 1: Actual or exact concentrations of reagents used
Shaded boxes are values you will calculate, based on the dilutions completed in Part 1.

Stock* Diluted Stock* Diluted Stock*

Reagent
Na₂S₂O₃ (aq) KI (aq) KI (aq) H₂O₂ (aq) H₂O₂ (aq)
Calculated: Calculated:
Exact
Concentration (M)

* All stock solutions were prepared by ________________________ on ________________

Technician name Date
Record stock concentrations with all reported decimals given. Use appropriate significant digits for calculated values.

Data Table 2: Qualitative Observations. Use the space below to record qualitative observations about
the experiment (ex. colour intensity between trials).
Practice Run: Practice Run: Practice Run: Practice Run:
Before you start to add At the first hint of As the reaction After several minutes of
any drops colour on the paper continues reaction continuing

Kinetic Runs: Other qualitative observations from Runs 1-5

Only if applicable, note any visual differences noted between your practice and kinetic (timed) runs.

TA initials here

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CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

Data Table 3: Iodine Clock Runs – Time required for appearance of initial colour
Run # Trial # Time (s) Average (s)
1
2
Run 1 3
4
5
1
2
Run 2 3
4
5
1
2
Run 3 3
4
5
1
2
Run 4 3
4
5

TA initials here

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 CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

Analysis & Discussion

Completed after laboratory session

Data Analysis
Convert the information from Procedure Table 1 and Data Table 1 into initial concentrations that were
actually present on the filter paper.

Analysis Table 1: Calculated initial concentrations and rates for each kinetic run
Keep all calculated values to 3 significant digits in this table – these are intermediates that you’ll use for later
calculations, so rounding them early results in later errors!
REACTION 3 REACTION 1

Average Rate of Initial Rate of

Initial Initial Initial Average Consumption Reaction
[S₂O₃²⁻] (M) [I⁻] (M) [H₂O₂] (M) Run Time (s) Δ[S₂O₃²⁻]/Δt (M/s) (M/s)

Run 1

Run 2

From your pre-lab:

Run 3

Run 4

Sample calculations for initial concentrations were part of your pre-lab work on Page 10 and will be graded there.

Question 1: Sample Calculation – show how you calculated the average rate of consumption of
[S2O32-] for Run 1 in Results Table 1 on the previous page. Report your result with 3
significant digits so that this intermediate value can be used for later calculations.

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CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

Question 2: Calculate b, the order of reaction with respect to [I-]. Clearly indicate which runs are
being used in this calculation.

Question 3: Calculate c, the order of reaction with respect to [H2O2]. Clearly indicate which runs are
being used in this calculation.

Question 4: Use your data from Run 1 to calculate k, the rate constant, including units.
Assume that the initial [H+] = 0.00400 M for this run. Recall from the Background that
the reaction is known to be first-order with respect to [H+]. Round your answer to an
appropriate number of significant digits.

Question 5: Summarize your data analysis by stating the equation of the overall rate law for the
reaction studied? Include all values for all orders, and a numerical value of k with units.

Rate =

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CHEM 203 Lab 2: Kinetics of the Iodine Clock Reaction Fall 2024

Background & Introduction

Question 6: What was the overall objective or goal of this laboratory? Include a balanced chemical
equation (with states) for the primary chemical reaction being studied. (1-2 sentences)

Reflect and Discuss

Question 7: Compared to the primary reaction, is Reaction [4] (formation of triiodide I₃⁻) likely to be
relatively fast or relatively slow? Support your claim by stating the purpose of reaction [4]
(evidence) and explaining why the reaction needs to be that speed to accomplish that purpose
(reasoning). Use 2-3 sentences.

Question 8: Experimental procedures have assumptions built into their design that can limit the certainty of
our results. We typically refer to these limits of our experiment design as “sources of
uncertainty” or “sources of error.” This experiment, for example, requires each group to reliably
identify the same faint colour change.

Predict how your results would be affected if the timer was stopped only after a darker colour
was seen (i.e. Figure 1C or 1D). Specifically, do you think the rates measured will accurately
represent the initial rate of reaction? Explain why or why not. Use 2-3 sentences.

Lab 2: Worksheet SCAN & SUBMIT THIS PAGE Page 15