Question

The hydrolysis of tert-butyl chloride is given in the reaction below: (CH3)3CCl(aq) + H2O(l) → (CH3)3COH(aq) + H+(aq) + Cl-(aq) If the rate law is: Rate = k[(CH3)3CCl], what is the order of the reaction with respect to water?

Answer 1

Answer : The order of the reaction with respect to water is, zero.

Explanation :

Rate law : It is defined as the expression which expresses the rate of the reaction in terms of molar concentration of the reactants with each term raised to the power their stoichiometric coefficient of that reactant in the balanced chemical equation.

The given chemical reaction is:

$(CH_3)_3CCl(aq)+H_2O(l)\rightarrow (CH_3)_3COH(aq)+H^+(aq)+Cl^-(aq)$

The general rate law expression for the reaction is:

$\text{Rate}=k[(CH_3)_3CCl]^a[H_2O]^b$      ..........(1)

where,

a = order with respect to $(CH_3)_3CCl$

b = order with respect to $H_2O$

R = rate  law

k = rate constant

As we are given that:

$\text{Rate}=k[(CH_3)_3CCl]$        ...........(2)

By comparing equation 1 and 2, we get:

a = 1 and b = 0

That means, the rate is depending only on the concentration of tert-butyl chloride.

Hence, the order of the reaction with respect to water is, zero.