What is meant by the rate-determining step in a chemical reaction?
The rate-determining step is the slowest step in a multi-step reaction mechanism, and it determines the overall rate of the reaction.
Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.
What chemical species are included in the rate equation of a reaction?
The rate equation includes only the chemical species that are involved in the rate-determining step of the reaction.
Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.
How do you determine the orders of reactants in a rate equation based on the rate-determining step?
The orders of reactants in a rate equation correspond to the number of times each reactant appears in the rate-determining step. These orders are determined experimentally.
For example, the rate-determining step in the reaction between Cl2 and O3 contains one Cl• radical and one O3 molecule, so the order of each reactant is 1 and the rate equation is rate = [Cl•][O3].
Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.
What is a reaction intermediate?
A reaction intermediate is a chemical species that is formed and consumed during a reaction, but does not appear in the overall equation.
Answer in your head, out loud, or on paper, then tap the card to flip.