Calculating the Confidence and Prediction Limits of a Rate Constant at a Given Temperature from an Arrhenius Equation Using Excel

Abstract

Calculating error limits for rate constants derived from a fitted Arrhenius expression is problematic. In the past, de Levie has suggested that centering the data around the mean ln(k) and 1/T values before doing the regression gives a correct result. It is suggested here that a convenient and standardized approach (and thus, one likely to be used by students) is to calculate the confidence and prediction limits of the rate constant at a given temperature using the Regression Data Analysis tool of Excel and using some of Excel’s built-in functions.