An organic compound undergoes first-order decomposition. The time taken for its decomposition to 1/8 and 1/10 of its initial concentration are t1/8 and t1/10 respectively. What is the value of ?
For a first-order reaction, the time taken for decomposition to a certain fraction of initial concentration is given by the formula:
where is the rate constant, is the initial concentration, and is the concentration at time .
Step 1: Find
Here, , so
Step 2: Find
Here, , so
Step 3: Find the ratio
Since , we get:
Step 4: Calculate the required expression
We need to find
Substituting the value from above:
Final Answer: The value is approximately 9.03.
First-Order Kinetics: The rate of reaction depends linearly on the concentration of one reactant. The integrated rate law is .
Half-Life: For a first-order reaction, half-life is constant and independent of initial concentration.
Fractional Life: The time for decomposition to any fraction is proportional to .