Question

3. a. What effect does temperature have on the reaction rate of oxalic acid and permanganate? b. Will temperature have an effect on the equilibrium constant of this reaction?

Answer 1

3H₂C₂O₄ + 2KMnO₄ 6CO₂ + 2KOH + 2H₂O + 2MnO₂

Rate = k[KMnO₄][H₂C₂O₄]

Here, temperature increase increases the rate of a chemical reaction. By increasing the temperature not only increases the number of collisions but also increases the energy of the collisions and get a greater probability that some of those collisions have sufficient energy to overcome this barrier. There is another factor that comes into play called the orientation factor, though it is not very important in this reaction. This factor takes into account the number of collisions that occur at the correct location to effect breakage of the desired bond.

Changes in temperature will change the equilibrium constant.