What is the rate-determining step?
Q: What is the rate-determining step?
A: The rate-determining step is the step for which the transition state has the highest energy and it is the slowest step within a chemical reaction.
Q: Why is the rate-determining step important when studying a reaction mechanism?
A: Knowing which step is rate-determining is important when studying a reaction mechanism because if this step is changed, the reaction can go much faster.
Q: How can the reaction speed be increased by changing the rate-determining step?
A: The reaction speed can be increased by changing the rate-determining step. This can be done, for example, by using a different reagent or changing the temperature or pressure.
Q: Will changing the conditions for any other step of the mechanism change the overall speed of the reaction?
A: No, changing the conditions for any other step of the mechanism will not change the overall speed of the reaction at all.
Q: What is the activation energy?
A: The activation energy is the energy required for the reaction to occur and is determined by the rate-determining step.
Q: What is the rate equation?
A: The rate equation is an equation to calculate the speed of the reaction from the concentration of molecules.
Q: What is the role of rate-determining step in the rate equation?
A: Usually, the only step that is important in the rate equation is the rate-determining step. It determines the rate of the reaction from the concentrations of the reactants.
