Reaction Mechanism

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What is a reaction mechanism?

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A reaction mechanism is a step-by-step sequence of elementary reactions by which overall chemical change occurs.

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What are elementary steps in a reaction mechanism?

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Elementary steps are individual steps in a reaction mechanism that describe a single molecular event.

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How do you determine the number of elementary steps in a reaction mechanism?

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Count the individual steps that make up the overall reaction.

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What is a catalyst?

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A catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process.

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What is the role of a catalyst in a reaction mechanism?

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A catalyst lowers the activation energy of the slowest step, thereby increasing the reaction rate.

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What is the rate-determining step?

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The rate-determining step is the slowest step in a reaction mechanism that controls the overall reaction rate.

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How does a catalyst affect the rate-determining step?

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A catalyst can speed up the rate-determining step, making the overall reaction faster.

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What are intermediates in a reaction mechanism?

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Intermediates are species that are formed during the reaction but are not present in the final products.

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How do you identify intermediates in a reaction mechanism?

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Intermediates can be identified as species that appear in the mechanism but are not in the overall balanced equation.

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What is the difference between a fast step and a slow step in a reaction mechanism?

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A fast step occurs quickly and has a low activation energy, while a slow step occurs slowly and has a high activation energy.