Reaction Mechanisms

Question 1

Is the catalyst or intermediate consumed first and produced later?

Answer 1

The catalyst is consumed first and produced later.

Question 2

Is the catalyst or intermediate produced first and consumed later?

Answer 2

The intermediate is produced first and consumed later.

Question 3

What does a catalyst do?

Answer 3

It speeds up a chemical reaction by providing the reaction with an alternative pathway for the reactants to become products.

Question 4

What is a unimolecular reaction and what is the overall order?

Answer 4

A unimolecular reaction is when there is only one molecule as a reactant and the overall order would be first order.

Question 5

What is a bimolecular reaction and what is the overall order?

Answer 5

A bimolecular reaction has two reactants and the overall order is 2.

Question 6

What is the rarest reaction to take place out of the 3?

Answer 6

Termolecular reactions.

Question 7

What is a termolecular reaction and what is the overall order?

Answer 7

A termolecular reaction has 3 reactants and the overall order is 3.

Question 8

What do you do if the rate law has an intermediate in it?

Answer 8

You would find which elementary step creates the intermediate set the forward and reverse reactions equal to each other and solve. Then replace the intermediate with what you got. Repeat step if you get another intermediate.

Question 9

What are the 3 things we have to check to see if a mechanism is valid?

Answer 9

1) The sum of the steps yield the overall reaction
2) In each step, 2 reactants collide (or 1); physically reasonable
3) The rate law is in agreement with the experiment rate law