Concept:The unit of the rate constant depends on the overall order of the reaction.
Explanation:For a reaction of order
n, the rate law is written as:
Rate=k[Reactant]nHere,
k is the rate constant and
[Reactant] is the molar concentration.
The unit of rate for any reaction is always:
mol dm−3 s−1Rearranging the rate law gives the unit of
k:
k=[Reactant]nRateSubstituting the units, the unit of
k becomes:
(mol dm−3)1−n s−1For a zero-order reaction,
n=0.
So the unit of
k becomes:
mol dm−3 s−1This exactly matches the unit given in the question.
Therefore, the reaction whose rate constant has unit
mol dm−3 s−1 is a zero-order reaction.
Answer:Option A: Zero-order reaction.