Misconceptions
Misconception Pedagogical Approach
The reaction rate of a chemical reaction is constant over time.
Students may mistake the instantaneous rate of reaction for a rate observed for the entire reaction. |
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There must be more than one reactant represented in the rate law.
Students may equate a compound being listed as a reactant with it being included in the rate law. |
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The presence of a catalyst will increase the amount of yield.
Since a catalyst is seen as something beneficial to a chemical reaction, students may believe that it increases the yield of reactions. |
Activation energy is a fixed value that cannot be changed by external factors.
Given that each reaction has a different activation energy, students may make the connection that it is a fixed value. |
A zero order rate law means that no matter the concentration of the compound, the reaction rate will be the same.
A zero order reaction rate represents that the concentration of the reactant in question does not change the rate in the concentration range of other reactants. |
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