The decomposition rate of dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3) in the gas phase was studied by Hinshelwood (1927) by measuring the increases in pressure that accompany decomposition in a constant volume batch reactor at a given temperature. The reaction is complicated since formaldehyde appears as an intermediate product, but assume that the reaction is complete in the following sense CH_3 OCH_3 → CH_4 + H_2 + CO In an experiment at 504 ° C in which it was 41.6 kPa, the following values of the pressure change were obtained

t (s)	k Pa	t (s)	k Pa
0	0	916	26.7
207	7.5	1195	33.3
3390	12.8	1587	41.6
481	15.5	2240	53.6
665	20.8	2660	58..3
777	23.5	3155	62.3
			82.5

Test the hypothesis that the reaction is of the first order with respect to the ether