## Question on Actual Quiz 2

$K = \frac{k_{forward}}{k_{reverse}}$

Chin_Alyssa_3I
Posts: 34
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2016 3:00 am

### Question on Actual Quiz 2

I was wondering for number six on the actual quiz 2 we took in our discussion, why Step 1 was the slow step and not Step 2?
Last edited by Chin_Alyssa_3I on Sun Mar 19, 2017 1:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Arshia_Sabir_3E
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2016 2:59 pm

### Re: Quesion on Actual Quiz 2

step 1 was the slow step because k1 was less than k2 which means it takes longer for step one to occur.
you can also think of it in terms of activation energy. If k1 is smaller than k2, then the activation energy of k1 is higher (which means it takes longer- higher hill on the reaction profile diagram) than the activation energy of k2.

hope this helps!
Last edited by Arshia_Sabir_3E on Tue Mar 07, 2017 11:28 am, edited 2 times in total.

Molika Soben_3J
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2016 3:00 pm

### Re: Quesion on Actual Quiz 2

The smaller the rate constant, the slower the reaction and vice versa. So given that k1 << k2, k1 is much smaller than k2 thus implying that the reaction rate for step 1 would be slower than that of step 2.