Rate Determining Step
The overall rate is decided by the step with the slowest rate - this is the rate determining step.
If a reactant appears in the rate equation it must affect the rate.
If a reactant does not appear in the rate equation it cannot be in the rate determining step and
neither will any derived form of it.
It does not have to be the first step and the reaction mechanism cannot be predicted from just
the chemical equation.
The molecularity (number of moles of each substance) of the molecules in the slowest
step will be the same as the order of reaction for each substance. e.g. 0 moles of A in slow
step would mean A is zero order. 1 mole of A in the slow step would mean A is first order.
The fast step does not appear in the rate equation.
The slow step does appear in the rate equation so it is the rate determining step.
The overall rate is decided by the step with the slowest rate - this is the rate determining step.
If a reactant appears in the rate equation it must affect the rate.
If a reactant does not appear in the rate equation it cannot be in the rate determining step and
neither will any derived form of it.
It does not have to be the first step and the reaction mechanism cannot be predicted from just
the chemical equation.
The molecularity (number of moles of each substance) of the molecules in the slowest
step will be the same as the order of reaction for each substance. e.g. 0 moles of A in slow
step would mean A is zero order. 1 mole of A in the slow step would mean A is first order.
The fast step does not appear in the rate equation.
The slow step does appear in the rate equation so it is the rate determining step.
