Slow Step Rxn

[Maya F 1E]

Why does the slow step determine the reaction rate?

[Spencer T]

The production of product will always be limited by the slowest step of the reaction because the reaction itself can not go at a rate any faster than the slowest step. There is always a slowest step in a mechanism, therefore the rate of the mechanism is most directly effected by this step.

[305920501]

When the other steps are fast, they are often occurring so quickly they do not contribute to the reaction's overall reaction rate, or at least not nearly as much as the slow step. This makes the slow step the best determinate of the reaction rate because it is going to be the largest value contributing to the overall reaction rate, and this allows us to best understand the reaction with the information we're given.

[anoushkap1]

The rate-determining step (also known as the slow step) is the step in a reaction mechanism that limits the overall rate of the reaction because the reaction is essentially only as fast as its slowest step.

[Valeria Perez 3J]

The slowest step is usually the rate determining step because it basically sets the pace for the whole reaction. Since the other steps happen quickly, they don't affect the rate like the slow step does. Think of an assembly line: if everyone in the assembly line is working quickly, but one person is moving slower than the rest, then the reaction can only progress as quickly as the slow worker does. Any quick moving workers before then would just generate buildup, like the buildup of an intermediate, and so in a reaction, the reaction rate would be entirely determined by how quickly that slow mechanism is able to proceed.

[Melody L Lehman 2C]

We assume that the other steps occur at a fast enough rate that they take place immediately after the slow step is completed (the other steps occur at a fast enough rate that they are negligible when considering the overall rate). The overall rate can only be as fast as fast as its slowest step.