A computer-enhanced pH study of the formaldehyde-sulphite clock reaction

The formaldehyde-sulphite clock reaction was studied using an Orion SA 720 pH/ISE meter interfaced to an IBM PC. The laboratory software 'ASYST' was employed to facilitate data acquisition and data treatment. Experimental pH profiles thus obtained for the first time were simulated by invoking a theoretical model based on the reaction mechanism suggested by Burnett [1]. The variation of rate constants with compositions of reaction mixtures was also discuseed in light of the empirical expression proposed by Bell and Evans [2] for instantaneous rate constant of the clock reaction.