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📘 About the First Order Rate Constant
In a first-order reaction the rate depends on the concentration of one reactant to the power 1. Its integrated rate law lets you find the rate constant k from two concentrations measured a known time apart.
This calculator uses k = (2.303/t) log([A]₀/[A]), as in Class 12 Chemical Kinetics, and gives the half-life and the time for 99% completion. You can use any quantity proportional to concentration, such as pressure or absorbance.
🧮 Formula
For a first-order reaction, 99% completion takes about 6.64 half-lives, and 99.9% takes about 10.
✏️ Worked examples
0.8 M falls to 0.2 M in 30 min
You get| Rate constant k (per time unit) | 0.0462098 |
| Half-life t½ (time unit) | 15 |
| Reacted so far | 75% |
| Time for 99% completion (time unit) | 99.6578 |
k = 0.0462098 per minute, and the half-life is 15 min (two half-lives in 30 min).
Try this example →Decomposition of N₂O₅
You get| Rate constant k (per time unit) | 0.0287682 |
| Half-life t½ (time unit) | 24.0942 |
| Reacted so far | 25% |
| Time for 99% completion (time unit) | 160.078 |
k = 0.0287682 per minute.
Try this example →🧭 How to use this calculator
What you enter
- Initial concentration [A]₀ (mol/L)
- Concentration at time t, [A] (mol/L)
- Time (t) (min)The rate constant comes out per this time unit.
What you get
- Rate constant k (per time unit)
- Half-life t½ (time unit)
- Reacted so far
- Time for 99% completion (time unit)
💡 How to tell a first-order reaction
- A plot of ln[A] against time is a straight line with slope −k.
- The half-life stays the same however much reactant is left.
- Units of k are time⁻¹ (s⁻¹, min⁻¹).
❓ Frequently asked questions
What is the formula for the rate constant of a first-order reaction?
k = (2.303/t) log([A]₀/[A]), or equivalently k = (1/t) ln([A]₀/[A]).
What is the half-life of a first-order reaction?
t½ = 0.693/k. It does not depend on the starting concentration.
What are the units of k for a first-order reaction?
Time⁻¹, such as s⁻¹ or min⁻¹.
Is radioactive decay first order?
Yes. That's why it has a constant half-life.