Problems for Zero-Order Kinetics and First-Order Kinetics

A pharmacist dissolved a few milligrams of a new antibiotic drug into exactly 100 ml of
distilled water and placed the solution in a refrigerator (5
0
C). At various time intervals the
pharmacist removed a 10-mL aliquot from the solution and measured the amount of drug
contained in each aliquot. The following data were obtained:
Time (hr) Antibiotic(ug/mL)
0.5 84.5
1.0 81.2
2.0 74.5
4.0 61.0
6.0 48.0
8.0 35.0
12.0 8.7
a. Is the decomposition of this antibiotic a first-order or zero-order process?
b. What is the rate of decomposition of this antibiotic?
c. How many milligrams of antibiotics were in the original solution prepared by the
pharmacist?
d. Give the equation for the line that best fits the experimental data.

a. Zero order process (Fig.A2-3).
b. k
O =
slope = Y
X

It is always best to plot the data. Obtain a regression line(i.e.,the line of best fit), then use points C
and t from that line.
k
O
= 60 80
4.21.2
k
O =
6.67 g/mL hr
c. By extrapolation:
At t
O,
Co = 87.5g/mL
d. The equation (using ruler only) is:
A = kt + A
O

= 6.67 t + 87.5


A solution of a drug was freshly prepared at a concentration of 300 mg/mL.
After 30 days at 25
0
C, the drug concentration in the solution was 75 mg/mL.
a. Assuming first-order kinetics, when will the drug decline to one half of the original
concentration?
b. Assuming zero-order kinetics, when will the drug decline to one half of the original
concentration?

Given:
C(mg/mL) t(days)
300 0
75 30
a. log C = kt + log C
O

2.3
log 75 = 30
k
+ log 300
2.3
k = 0.046 days
1
t
1/2 =
0.693 = 0.693
k 0.046
= 15 days

b. Method I
300 mg/mL = Co at t = 0
75 mg/mL = C at t = 30 days
225 mg/mL = difference between initial and final drug concentration

k
O =
225 mg /mL
30 days
= 7.5 mg/mL day




The time, t
1/2
, for the drug to decompose to C
O
(from 300 to 150 mg/mL) is calculated by
t
1/2
= 150 mg/mL
7.5 mg/mL day
= 20 days
Method 2: Method 3:

C = k
O
t + Co At t
1/2,
C = 150mg/mL
75 = 30 k
O
t + 300 150 = 7.5 t
1/2
+ 300
k
O
= 7.5 mg/mL day t
1/2
= 20 days

At t
1/2
value of 20 days may be obtained directly from the graph by plotting C against t on
rectangular coordinates.


How many half-lives (t ) would it take for 99.9% of any initial concentration of a drug to
decompose? Assume first-order kinetics?

Assume an original concentration of drug to be 1000mg/mL.

Method I
mg/mL no. of half-lives mg/ml no. of half lives
1000 0 15.6 6
500 1 7.81 7
250 2 3.91 8
125 3 1.95 9
62.5 4 0.98 10
31.3 5

99.9% of 1000 = 999

Concentration of drug remaining = 0.1% of 1000
1000 999 =1 mg / mL

It takes approximately 10 half lives to eliminate all but 0.1% of the original concentration of drug.
Method 2
Assume any t
1/2
value:

t
1/2
= 0.693
k
Then
k = 0.693
t
1/2

log C = kt + log Co
2.3
log 1.0 = kt + log 1000
2.3
t = 9.9 t
1/2

Substituting 0.693 / t
1/2
for k

Log 1.0 = 0.693t + log 1000, 3 X 2.3 t
1/2 =
0.693t
1.3 X t
1/2


t = 9.96

t
1/2