USE OF SPREADSHEETS IN THE KINETIC-ANALYSIS OF 2 CONSECUTIVE FIRST-ORDER REACTIONS

The present author developed an expression in a previous report that c ould be applied to the determination of the two rate constants, k(1) a nd k(2), for two consecutive irreversible first-order reactions (2CIFR ). This expression was solved utilizing various computer methods and r ate data (which could be obtained from conversion (alpha) versus time (t) curves). Thus, BASICA (IBM), Lotus spreadsheets, and the Paradox d ata base were employed. The usual expressions developed for 2CIFR can be converted into dimensionless parameters and variables (DPV). One in vestigator (to be mentioned subsequently) developed a procedure whereb y these DPV could be used to solve for k(1) and k(2) in 2CIFR. His met hod was rather tedious in that it involved plotting, superposing, and displacement measurements. In the present paper, a Lotus spreadsheet w ill be utilized to analyze 2CIFR for k-values. By means of this analys is, which utilizes dimensionless variables, these k-values will be obt ainable in a matter of seconds once the experimental data is provided.