来源:美国马里兰州约翰斯·霍普金斯大学 Smaa Koraym
建议学生两人一组进行本实验。仪器控制方式可能有所不同。
在本实验中,你将进行一种分解反应,即单一化合物分解为两种或多种更简单的产物。你将观察过氧化氢分解为水和氧气的过程。该分解反应进行得非常缓慢,因此你将使用硝酸铁(III)作为催化剂以降低活化能。
在此过程中,铁会发生氧化还原反应,随后恢复至初始的氧化态。你可以在反应过程中通过溶液的颜色变化观察到这一现象。你将在四种不同温度下重复该反应,并通过记录烧瓶内的压力变化来追踪反应速率。这样即可测量每次实验中氧气的生成速度,并利用这些数据计算反应的活化能。
表1. 估算过氧化氢分解的表观活化能
| 试验编号 | 温度 (℃) | ΔP (kPa/s) | 1/T | ln (ΔP) |
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 |
铁催化下过氧化氢的分解是一个复杂的多步过程,无法用单一化学方程式简单描述。然而,我们可以通过氧气生成速率估算该反应的表观活化能,并与未催化过程的表观活化能进行比较。
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Q1: Why is iron (III) nitrate used as a catalyst in the hydrogen peroxide decomposition experiment?
Iron (III) nitrate lowers the activation energy of the decomposition reaction, allowing hydrogen peroxide to break down into water and oxygen much faster than it would naturally. The iron undergoes a redox reaction during the process and returns to its original oxidation state, which you can observe as a color change in the solution.
Q2: How does temperature affect the rate of hydrogen peroxide decomposition?
Higher temperatures increase the reaction rate, producing oxygen gas more quickly. By performing the decomposition at four different temperatures and measuring pressure changes, you can quantify this relationship and calculate the apparent activation energy using the Arrhenius equation to determine how temperature influences reaction kinetics.
Q3: What does the pressure change inside the flask indicate during the experiment?
The pressure increase is directly proportional to the rate of oxygen production from hydrogen peroxide decomposition. By recording pressure changes over time using a gas pressure sensor, you can determine the reaction rate at each temperature and track how quickly the decomposition occurs.
Q4: How do you calculate apparent activation energy from experimental data?
Plot the natural log of the pressure change rate against the reciprocal of absolute temperature to create an Arrhenius plot. The slope of this line equals negative activation energy divided by the universal gas constant. Multiply the slope by the negative gas constant to obtain the apparent activation energy value.
Q5: Why is it important to evacuate the flask to 10 kPa before each trial?
Evacuating the flask removes air and creates a sealed system where pressure changes accurately reflect only the oxygen produced from the reaction. This ensures that your pressure measurements are reliable and not affected by atmospheric air or leaks in the apparatus.
Q6: What is the expected range for the apparent activation energy of the catalyzed decomposition?
The iron-catalyzed decomposition of hydrogen peroxide yields an apparent activation energy between 35 and 60 kJ/mol, significantly lower than the uncatalyzed reaction at 78–88 kJ/mol. This difference demonstrates how effectively the iron catalyst reduces the energy barrier for the reaction.