BIOCH499A Study Guide - Rate-Determining Step, Dan Piraro, Elementary Reaction
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Elementary rxn = rxn that occurs in a single step. It has special properties: no information how it happens: rate law follows stoichiometry aa + bb cc + dd. Rate = k [reactants]stoich coefficients = k [a]a [b]b. For example, if the following is an elementary rxn. Then rate = k [no3][co: the molecularity for an elementary rxn is. No 4 or higher ! no fractions ! no zeros, no ve values! Most rxn"s are not elementary but they can be broken into several elementary rxn"s. D + b c overall rxn not elementary (from observations) elementary elementary (theoretical) (theoretical) First we check that the net reaction of the proposed mechanism matches the observed reaction equation. A + d + b c + d is equivalent to the net reaction a + b c. Then we can derive a theoretical rate law based on this proposed mechanism. Rxn mechanism = sequence of steps by which a rxn occurs.