A helpful notebook for Exercise 3.4.2.

Here is the data for Exercise 3.4.2:

data = {{0,1.0},{300,0.78},{1200,0.37},{3000,0.08}}

However, we will work with the log of the concentration, so

logdata = Table[{data[[j,1]],Log[data[[j,2]]]},{j,1,4}]

A plot

ListPlot[logdata]

To fit a function u(k,t) = k*t to this data by adjusting "k", define

u[t_,k_] = k*t

and form sum of squares

SS = Sum[(u[logdata[[i,1]],k]-logdata[[i,2]])^2,{i,1,4}]

Then minimize the resulting expression SS as a function of k.