Half-life for a Second order Reaction

For the simple second order reaction 2A →Products, the integrated rate equation is

where [A]₀ is the initial concentration and [A] is the concentration when time thas elapsed.

When one-half life has elapsed.

As in case of a first order reaction, half-life for a second order reaction is inversely proportional to rate constant k. While half-life of a first order reaction is independent of initial concentration, half-life of a second order reaction depends on initial concentration. This fact can be used to distinguish between a first order and a second order reaction.