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Reaction Mechanism quiz #1

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  • What is the overall reaction that results from combining three elementary steps in a reaction mechanism?
    The overall reaction is obtained by adding all the elementary steps together and canceling out any catalysts and reaction intermediates (species that appear as reactants in one step and products in another). The remaining reactants and products form the overall chemical equation.
  • Which statement accurately defines the rate-determining step in a chemical reaction?
    The rate-determining step is the slowest elementary step in a reaction mechanism, and it limits the overall rate of the chemical reaction. The coefficients of reactants in this step correspond to the reaction orders in the rate law.
  • How is a catalyst identified within a reaction mechanism?
    A catalyst appears as a reactant in the first elementary step and as a product in the final step of the mechanism.
  • What defines a reaction intermediate in a reaction mechanism?
    A reaction intermediate is a species that is produced in one elementary step and consumed as a reactant in a subsequent step.
  • What is the molecularity of an elementary step with three reactant molecules?
    An elementary step with three reactant molecules is termed termolecular.
  • How do you determine the molecularity of an elementary step?
    Count the total number of reactant molecules in the step; one is unimolecular, two is bimolecular, and three is termolecular.
  • What prefix is used for two reactant molecules in molecularity, and how does it differ from covalent compound naming?
    The prefix 'bi-' is used for two reactant molecules in molecularity, unlike 'di-' used in covalent compound naming.
  • What happens to catalysts and reaction intermediates when writing the overall reaction from a mechanism?
    Catalysts and reaction intermediates are canceled out, leaving only the net reactants and products in the overall reaction.
  • How can the rate law for a reaction be determined from its mechanism?
    The rate law can be determined by using the coefficients of the reactants in the rate-determining (slow) step.
  • What is the relationship between the slow step in a mechanism and the overall reaction rate?
    The slowest elementary step, known as the rate-determining step, limits the overall rate of the chemical reaction.