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General Chemistry — Kinetics, Equilibrium, Acids & Bases, Electrochem flashcards

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Rate laws and mechanisms, equilibrium constants and Le Chatelier, acid–base strength, pH, buffers and titrations, solubility products, entropy and free energy, galvanic and electrolytic cells, Nernst, redox balancing and nuclear decay — with worked numbers.

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Learn deck · part of General Chemistry I/II · written against: Standard two-semester sequence. Updated 2026-10-10.

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  1. What is a rate law, and where do the reaction orders in it come from?
    Rate =k[A]m[B]n= k[A]^m[B]^n⁠, where the exponents m and n are the orders with respect to each reactant and m + n is the overall order. Orders are found experimentally (method of initial rates); they are guaranteed to equal the stoichiometric coefficients only when the reaction is a single elementary step.
    Rate Laws & Reaction Order
  2. What does the Arrhenius equation say about how temperature and activation energy affect the rate constant?
    k=Ae−Ea/RTk = A e^{-E_a/RT}⁠: k rises with temperature (exponentially in −1/T-1/T⁠, not in T) and shrinks with a larger activation energy. A plot of ln k against 1/T is a straight line with slope −Ea/R-E_a/R⁠, which is how activation energies are measured.
    Arrhenius · Catalysts & Mechanisms
  3. How does an equilibrium respond when a reactant is added or a product removed, and does K change?
    It shifts to consume what was added and replace what was removed — both changes push toward products. K is unchanged; only Q was disturbed, and the system moves until Q equals K again.
    Le Chatelier's Principle
  4. How do the Arrhenius, Brønsted–Lowry and Lewis definitions of acids and bases differ?
    • Arrhenius: an acid releases H⁺ in water, a base releases OH⁻
    • Brønsted–Lowry: an acid donates a proton, a base accepts one — valid in any solvent
    • Lewis: an acid accepts an electron pair, a base donates one — broadest of all, so BF₃ and metal cations count as acids.
    Acid–Base Definitions & Strength
  5. What are the pH values of 0.010 M HCl and 0.010 M NaOH?
    HCl ionizes completely: [H⁺] = 0.010 M, pH = 2.00. NaOH: [OH⁻] = 0.010 M, pOH = 2.00, so pH = 12.00 using pH + pOH = 14 at 25 °C. Strong electrolytes need no equilibrium calculation.
    pH Calculations
  6. Write the KspK_{sp} expression for PbCl₂ in terms of molar solubility, and explain when comparing KspK_{sp} values ranks solubility.
    PbCl₂ ⇌ Pb²⁺ + 2 Cl⁻ gives Ksp=[Pb2+][Cl−]2=s(2s)2=4s3K_{sp} = [Pb^{2+}][Cl^-]^2 = s(2s)^2 = 4s^3⁠; with Ksp=1.7×10−5K_{sp} = 1.7 \times 10^{-5}⁠, s ≈ 0.016 M. Comparing raw KspK_{sp} values ranks solubility only among salts with the same ion ratio (all 1:1, or all 1:2).
    Solubility Equilibria
  7. How do you predict the sign of ΔS for a process without a table?
    ΔS is positive when disorder rises: solid → liquid → gas, an increase in moles of gas, dissolving a solid, or heating. It is negative for condensing, freezing and gas-consuming reactions such as N₂ + 3 H₂ → 2 NH₃. Gas-mole change is usually the deciding factor.
    Entropy & Free Energy
  8. How do galvanic and electrolytic cells differ, and where do oxidation and reduction occur in each?
    A galvanic cell runs a spontaneous reaction (ΔG < 0, E > 0) and delivers current; an electrolytic cell uses an external source to force a nonspontaneous one (E < 0). In both, oxidation occurs at the anode and reduction at the cathode, and electrons travel anode → cathode through the wire.

    Mnemonic: AN OX, RED CAT.
    Galvanic & Electrolytic Cells
  9. What are the rules for assigning oxidation numbers, and in what order do you apply them when they conflict?
    • Elements are 0;
    • monatomic ions equal their charge;
    • fluorine is −1;
    • group 1 is +1 and group 2 is +2;
    • hydrogen is +1 (−1 in metal hydrides);
    • oxygen is −2 (−1 in peroxides, +2 in OF₂);
    • and the sum must always equal the species' total charge. Apply the other rules in that order of priority.
    Oxidation Numbers & Redox Balancing
  10. How do alpha, beta-minus, positron and gamma emission each change the atomic number and mass number?
    • Alpha (a helium nucleus): Z − 2, A − 4;
    • beta-minus (a neutron becomes a proton): Z + 1, A unchanged.
    • Positron (a proton becomes a neutron): Z − 1, A unchanged; electron capture has the same effect.
    • Gamma: no change in Z or A, only energy released.
    Nuclear Chemistry

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About these cards

Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

  • OpenStax Chemistry 2e, consulted as a reference; no text copied.
  • Checked against Zumdahl, Zumdahl & DeCoste, Chemistry, 10th ed. (Cengage, 2018) (reference only; no text copied).

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