Rate Law Expression
What is Rate Law Expression?
The rate law expression (rate equation) for a chemical reaction relates the rate of reaction to the concentrations of reactants raised to experimentally determined powers: rate = k[A]ᵐ[B]ⁿ, where k is the rate constant and m and n are the reaction orders with respect to A and B, respectively. The overall reaction order is the sum m + n, and the rate law must be determined experimentally rather than derived from the stoichiometric equation. The rate constant k is specific to the reaction, temperature, and any catalyst present.
Key Facts
Frequently Asked Questions
The rate law expression (rate equation) for a chemical reaction relates the rate of reaction to the concentrations of reactants raised to experimentally determined powers: rate = k[A]ᵐ[B]ⁿ, where k is the rate constant and m and n are the reaction orders with respect to A and B, respectively. The overall reaction order is the sum m + n, and the rate law must be determined experimentally rather than derived from the stoichiometric equation. The rate constant k is specific to the reaction, temperature, and any catalyst present.