A first-order reaction has a rate constant of $k = 6.93\times 10^{-3}\,\text{s}^{-1}$ at a certain temperature. The half-life is closest to
A$10\,\text{s}$
B$50\,\text{s}$
C$100\,\text{s}$
D$200\,\text{s}$
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. $100\,\text{s}$
1. First-order half-life: $t_{1/2} = 0.693/k$.
2. Plug in $k = 6.93\times 10^{-3}\,\text{s}^{-1}$.
3. $t_{1/2} = 0.693 / (6.93\times 10^{-3}) = 100\,\text{s}$.
4. Notice the clean cancellation: $0.693 / 6.93 = 0.1$, then $0.1 / 10^{-3} = 100$.
5. Distractor analysis: option B uses $k = 0.0139$ (twice as fast). Option A uses $k = 0.0693$. Option D uses $k = 3.47\times 10^{-3}$ (half as fast).
_Source: syllabus Chemistry Part 1, Ch 3, §3.3.2 (Example calculations of first-order half-life), p. 13–14._
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