Multiple Choice
If the uncatalyzed reaction occurs in a single elementary step, which of the following statements is true?
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15. Chemical Kinetics
Reaction Mechanism
Multiple Choice
Which of the following statements about reaction mechanisms is false?
A
Intermediates are species that are produced and consumed during the course of a reaction mechanism.
B
The rate-determining step in a reaction mechanism is always the fastest step.
C
A reaction mechanism describes the step-by-step sequence of elementary reactions by which overall chemical change occurs.
D
The molecularity of an elementary step refers to the number of reactant particles involved in that step.
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand what a reaction mechanism is. It is a detailed description of the sequence of elementary steps that lead from reactants to products in a chemical reaction.
Step 2: Define intermediates. Intermediates are species that are formed in one elementary step and consumed in a subsequent step, so they do not appear in the overall balanced equation.
Step 3: Explain the rate-determining step. This is the slowest step in the reaction mechanism, which controls the overall reaction rate because it acts as a bottleneck.
Step 4: Clarify molecularity. The molecularity of an elementary step is the number of reactant particles (atoms, ions, or molecules) that collide simultaneously to bring about that step.
Step 5: Identify the false statement by comparing each option to these definitions. The false statement is the one that incorrectly describes the rate-determining step as the fastest step, when in fact it is the slowest.
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