Behaviour far from equilibrium

Consider a beaker, or some other reaction vessel, filled with a solution of pure P at some initial concentrations p(t = 0) = p0. The initial concentrations of all other species are zero, so a0 = b0 = c0 = 0 in the equations above. We know that after an infinite time we achieve the equilibrium state, so p, a, and b will approach zero, and that c will tend to the value p0. However, we know little else of the course of the reaction and what happens to these concentrations on the way from their initial to their final states. We turn to this question now. 

Equation (2.1) is of a particularly simple form and can be integrated directly to give the concentration of the reactant P at any time  

With k0 = 10 3 s , the reaction half-life is approximately 2 h after 6 h, only 1 per cent of P remains. Thus we also know that the concentration of P shows 

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