Reaction Mechanisms 2.2.6, 2.2.7, 2.2.8 Flashcards
What are reaction intermediates?
Products of a single step used in a subsequent step
What is the rate determining step?
The slowest step in the reaction which has the highest activation energy. It determines the overall rate of the reaction.
What is the criteria for a correct reaction mechanism?
1) The sum of the elementary steps must add up to the overall equation
2) The rate expression of the RDS must agree with the experimentally determined rate expression
What is molecularity?
The number of reactant particles involved in an elementary step
Why is termolecular elementary step rare?
Because there is a low probability of three reactant particles colliding with sufficient energy and correct orientation.
Absorbance vs rate
If we look at absorbance over time and rate over time, we see that they are the same graph. Sloping downward. Therefore absorbance and rate are proportional.
