Rate-Determining Step
What is Rate-Determining Step?
The rate-determining step is the slowest elementary step in a multi-step reaction mechanism, which limits the overall rate of the reaction. It acts as a bottleneck — even if other steps are fast, the overall rate cannot exceed the rate of the slow step. The rate law for the overall reaction reflects the reactants involved up to and including the rate-determining step, consistent with the experimental rate law.
Key Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
The rate-determining step is the slowest elementary step in a multi-step reaction mechanism, which limits the overall rate of the reaction. It acts as a bottleneck — even if other steps are fast, the overall rate cannot exceed the rate of the slow step. The rate law for the overall reaction reflects the reactants involved up to and including the rate-determining step, consistent with the experimental rate law.