Question: For a reaction with a rate constant of 0.5 s^-1, how long will it take for the concentration of a reactant to decrease to 25% of its initial value in a first-order reaction?
Options:
Correct Answer: 4 seconds
Solution:
For a first-order reaction, the time to reach 25% of the initial concentration is t = (ln(1/0.25))/k = (ln(4))/0.5 = 2.772/0.5 = 5.544 seconds.