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How does the intensity of light affect the rate of a photochemical reaction? Provide experimental evidence to support your answer.

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ago by (120k points)
The intensity of light has a significant impact on the rate of a photochemical reaction. Photochemical reactions are driven by the absorption of light by molecules, which leads to the formation of excited states and subsequent chemical reactions. The rate of a photochemical reaction is directly proportional to the intensity of light, as described by the Bunsen-Roscoe law of photochemistry.Experimental evidence supporting the relationship between light intensity and the rate of photochemical reactions can be found in various studies. One such study is the classic experiment conducted by Theodore W. Richards and Hereward H. T. L. Marshall in 1901, which investigated the effect of light intensity on the rate of hydrogen and chlorine gas reaction to form hydrogen chloride  HCl .In this experiment, the researchers exposed a mixture of hydrogen and chlorine gases to varying intensities of light and measured the rate of HCl formation. They found that the rate of the reaction increased linearly with the intensity of light. This observation supported the Bunsen-Roscoe law, which states that the rate of a photochemical reaction is directly proportional to the intensity of light.Another example is the study of the photodegradation of organic pollutants in water. Researchers have found that the rate of photodegradation increases with increasing light intensity. For instance, a study by S. Malato et al.  2002  investigated the photodegradation of various organic pollutants in water using a solar simulator. They found that the rate of photodegradation increased with increasing light intensity, further supporting the relationship between light intensity and the rate of photochemical reactions.In summary, experimental evidence supports the idea that the intensity of light affects the rate of photochemical reactions. As the intensity of light increases, the rate of photochemical reactions also increases, following the Bunsen-Roscoe law of photochemistry.
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