## Mechanism

$aR \to bP, Rate = -\frac{1}{a} \frac{d[R]}{dt} = \frac{1}{b}\frac{d[P]}{dt}$

Parth Mungra
Posts: 72
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:28 am

### Mechanism

What is a mechanism? How does this affect the rate laws? Also, what can affect it?

004932366
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2017 3:00 am

### Re: Mechanism

Reaction mechanisms are basically the sequence of steps that a reaction must undergo on the molecular level to go from reactants to products. It has to show the order and rate in which bonds form/break at each step and all steps must add up to give the overall balanced chemical equation for the reaction.

Most chemical reactions have many steps. The rate law is not calculated from the stoichiometry of the balanced chemical equation. Thus, within the many steps of the reaction mechanism, there is a step called the rate determining or rate limiting step. It is basically the slowest step in the mechanism. From that step, one will be able to find the rate law.

I am a bit confused about what you are referring to in terms of, "What can affect it?". If you mean the rate law, a number of factors can affect the rate of a reaction, including increasing reactants, etc.. The rate law basically links the concentrations of reactants and constant parameters with the rate of reaction.