Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 13: Problem 151

Suppose a postulated reaction mechanism generates a rate law that does not agree with the experimentally determined rate law. What does this say about the postulated mechanism?

Short Answer

Expert verified
If a postulated reaction mechanism generates a rate law that does not agree with the experimentally determined rate law, it indicates that the proposed mechanism is incorrect or incomplete, possibly occurring through a different mechanism or multiple mechanisms. Researchers should revise the mechanism based on additional data or theories to match the observed rate law, as the discrepancy shows that the proposed mechanism is not accurately representing the reaction process.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Rate Law

A rate law is a mathematical expression that relates the reaction rate to the concentrations of reactants. It is obtained through experimental observations. A postulated reaction mechanism is a hypothetical step-by-step process outlining the sequence of elementary reactions that occur during a chemical reaction.
02

Comparing Postulated and Experimental Rate Laws

When a postulated reaction mechanism generates a rate law, it should ideally match the experimentally determined rate law. This would potentially validate the proposed mechanism as a correct representation of the reaction.
03

Mismatch between Postulated and Experimental Rate Laws

If a postulated reaction mechanism generates a rate law that does not agree with the experimentally determined rate law, it indicates that the proposed mechanism is incorrect or incomplete. It is also possible that the reaction occurs through an entirely different mechanism or through multiple mechanisms.
04

Revision of Postulated Mechanism

When a mismatch between the postulated rate law and the experimental rate law occurs, researchers should reconsider the proposed reaction mechanism, identifying any missing steps or assumptions. They may need to revise the mechanism based on additional experimental data or new theories to match the observed rate law.
05

Conclusion

In conclusion, a discrepancy between a postulated reaction mechanism's rate law and the experimentally determined rate law means that the proposed mechanism is not an accurate representation of the reaction. It requires further investigation and revision to match the observed rate law and correctly describe the reaction process.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Why would decreasing the volume of a container in which a gas-phase reaction is taking place speed up the reaction?

In general, increasing the concentration of a reactant will usually increase the rate of a reaction. Why is this true?

What do we mean by activation energy?

Suppose a postulated mechanism does generate the experimental rate law, and when the elementary steps are added together, the balanced equation for the overall reaction is generated. What can you say about the postulated mechanism?

Indicate whether each of the following statements is true or false. Rewrite each false statement to make it true. (a) Raising the temperature of a reaction mixture increases the number of reactant molecules that have energy equal to or greater than \(E_{\mathrm{a}}\) (b) Lowering the temperature of a reaction mixture speeds up the reaction. (c) The rate of a reaction depends only on the number of collisions per unit time having energy equal to or greater than \(E_{\mathrm{a}}\) (d) A reaction with an orientation factor of 1 means that all reacting molecules are oriented properly.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

Nuclear Chemistry

Read Explanation

Making Measurements

Read Explanation

Chemistry Branches

Read Explanation

Inorganic Chemistry

Read Explanation

Ionic and Molecular Compounds

Read Explanation

The Earths Atmosphere

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free