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Chapter 13: Problem 148

What is meant by the term rate-determining step?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The term "rate-determining step" refers to the slowest step in a chemical reaction mechanism, which ultimately determines the overall rate of the reaction. It is crucial for studying reaction kinetics, as it helps scientists understand which factors affect the overall rate of the reaction and develop strategies to speed it up. For example, in a hypothetical reaction with three steps (fast, slow, and fast), the slow step is the rate-determining step and will set the overall reaction rate.

Step by step solution

01

Definition

In the context of a chemical reaction or process, the rate-determining step is the slowest step in the reaction mechanism. This step ultimately determines the overall rate of the reaction, because the entire process cannot proceed faster than the slowest individual step.
02

Reaction Mechanism

The reaction mechanism is the sequence of elementary steps, or individual processes, that together describe the overall transformation of reactants into products. Each elementary step may have a different rate, and the rate-determining step is the one with the lowest rate.
03

Importance in Kinetics

Identifying the rate-determining step is crucial for studying the kinetics of a reaction, because it allows scientists to understand which factors affect the overall rate of the reaction. By focusing on the slowest step, researchers can develop strategies to speed up the reaction, such as by changing the temperature, pressure, or concentration of the reactants, or by using a catalyst.
04

Example

Let's consider a hypothetical reaction with the following mechanism: Step 1: A + B → C (fast) Step 2: C + D → E (slow) Step 3: E + F → G (fast) In this reaction, there are three elementary steps. Step 1 is fast, step 2 is slow, and step 3 is fast. Since step 2 has the slowest rate compared to the other steps, it is considered the rate-determining step, and the overall reaction rate will be determined by step 2.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Inhibitors are poisons that permanently stop a catalyst or an enzyme from working. Postulate how they might accomplish this.

If a reaction rate has a second-order dependence on a given reactant concentration, what will happen to the rate when the concentration of that reactant is doubled?

The rate law for a reaction involving \(\mathrm{A}(g)\) as the only reactant is: Rate \(=k[\mathrm{~A}]^{2}\) What happens to the rate when: (a) The volume of the reaction container is halved? (b) The concentration of \(\mathrm{A}\) is tripled?

Indicate whether each statement is true or false. Rewrite each false statement to make it true. (a) The exponents in the rate law for a reaction that has a one-step mechanism can be determined from the balanced equation for the reaction. (b) A rate law can be used to prove that a proposed mechanism is correct. (c) The step \(\mathrm{A}+\mathrm{X}+\mathrm{Y} \rightarrow \mathrm{AX}+\mathrm{Y}\) in a reaction mechanism is plausible. (d) A reaction intermediate appears first as a reactant and then as a product in a reaction mechanism.

The rate constant \(k\) of a chemical reaction can be changed by (a) Changing the temperature at which the reaction is run (b) Changing the concentration of reactants (c) Adding a catalyst (d) All of the above (e) Only (a) and (c)
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