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Chapter 14: Problem 21

What is an intermediate within a reaction mechanism?

Short Answer

Expert verified
An intermediate is a transient species that is formed and consumed during the course of a reaction mechanism.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding reaction mechanisms

A reaction mechanism is a step-by-step sequence that describes the pathway and the detailed process by which reactants are converted into products during a chemical reaction.
02

Identifying intermediates

An intermediate is a species that is formed in one step of a reaction mechanism and consumed in another. It is neither a reactant nor a final product but a transient formation during the course of the reaction.
03

Characteristics of intermediates

Intermediates are generally unstable and cannot be isolated under normal reaction conditions. They are crucial for the progression of the reaction and often provide insight into the reaction pathway.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Chemical Reaction Process
At the heart of chemistry lies the chemical reaction process, which can be seen as a dance of atoms and molecules transforming from reactants into products. It involves breaking and forming chemical bonds, during which energy is either absorbed or released.

To fully understand this process, you need to imagine it as a series of steps rather than a single leap. Each step represents a minor change leading towards the final product. And just like any good story, there's often a hidden character – the intermediate – that plays a crucial role out of the spotlight. Its role is fleeting but essential in moving the plot forward toward the ultimate chemical products.
Reaction Pathway
Consider a reaction pathway as a detailed map outlining the specific route taken during a chemical reaction. This map highlights every turn and roadblock the reactants encounter on their journey to becoming products.

These pathways are not straight highways but are often convoluted with multiple steps, forks, and sometimes, dead ends. Understanding the correct pathway is key to mastering the intricacies of the chemical reactions. Scientists and educators often use energy diagrams to depict these pathways, offering a visual representation of the energy changes and stages, including the formation of intermediates.
Transient Reaction Species
Within these chemical roadmaps, you'll occasionally encounter transient reaction species, also known as intermediates. Imagine you're on a long road trip; intermediates are akin to those quick rest stops - they're part of the journey but not the final destination.

They appear momentarily, live a short life during the reaction, and quickly move on to the next stage. These ephemeral entities are the elusive characters in our chemical narrative, essential for the plot but often hard to detect because of their brief existence.
Stability of Intermediates
The stability of intermediates is akin to the stability of a temporary structure in a construction project. Some might last just long enough to serve their purpose, while others are slightly more durable, existing for a fraction of a second longer.

Their stability is a critical factor in determining the speed and pathway of the reaction. Unstable intermediates tend to react quickly to form more stable entities. Their fleeting existence and reactivity are important clues that chemists use to deduce the mechanisms of complex chemical reactions.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The hydrolysis of sucrose (C12H22O11) into glucose and fructose in acidic water has a rate constant of 1.8 * 10-4 s-1 at 25 C. Assuming the reaction is first order in sucrose, determine the mass of sucrose that is hydrolyzed when 2.55 L of a 0.150 M sucrose solution is allowed to react for 195 minutes.

This reaction is first order in N2O5: The rate constant for the reaction at a certain temperature is 0.053>s. a. Calculate the rate of the reaction when [N2O5] = 0.055 M. b. What is the rate of the reaction at the concentration indicated in part a if the reaction is second order? Zero order? (Assume the same numerical value for the rate constant with the appropriate units.)

The reaction 2 H2O2(aq)->2 H2O(l) + O2(g) is first order in H2O2 and under certain conditions has a rate constant of 0.00752 s-1 at 20.0 C. A reaction vessel initially contains 150.0mL of 30.0% H2O2 by mass solution (the density of the solution is 1.11 g >mL). The gaseous oxygen is collected over water at 20.0 C as it forms. What volume of O2 forms in 85.0 seconds at a barometric pressure of 742.5 mmHg? (The vapor pressure of water at this temperature is 17.5 mmHg.)

Many heterogeneous catalysts are deposited on high surface-area supports. Why?

In a reaction mechanism, what is an elementary step? Write down the three most common elementary steps and the corresponding rate law for each one.
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