Elementary Steps for Reaction Mechanisms

[PeterTran1C]

When given a problem about reaction mechanisms, will we be given the elementary steps or will we have to figure these steps out ourselves? If we do have to figure out the steps by hand, how would we approach a problem like this?

[Payton Schwesinger 1J]

I believe he said in lecture today that we would be given the steps! I don't think we are expected to have the knowledge to come up with the equations; we just need to know how to analyze them.

[Christine Wastila 1H]

I think we would be given the steps and asked to analyze whether the proposed mechanism is valid (i.e. whether or not it agrees with the experimentally determined rate law). The example from lecture today is probably a good indication of what future problems will be like.