Teaching chemical kinetics is often difficult due to the quantitative approach necessary for the analysis and the challenge in mapping experimental data to kinetic models and concepts. Estimating rate constants for multi-step mechanisms typically requires mathematically non-trivial analysis, and usually requires simplifying approximations or assumptions. Here, global data fitting software is used to illustrate key kinetic concepts, reveal relationships between rate constants and observable signals, and to fit data to derive kinetic parameters. The reduction of chromium(VI) by glutathione, which can be monitored by absorbance measurements, is used as a simple example to illustrate the use of this software to teach chemical kinetics to undergraduate students.

Use of dynamic computer simulation in teaching chemical kinetics

256th National Meeting (2018)

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