## Slow step

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

Rhay Flores 4K
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Sep 29, 2017 7:04 am

### Slow step

How do you determine which step is the “slow step” in a reaction mechanism?

Arshiya
Posts: 69
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:16 am
Been upvoted: 1 time

### Re: Slow step

If it is not stated, find the rate of each of the elementary steps. The slowest rate should be the rate-determining step.

Kenan Kherallah 2C
Posts: 78
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:17 am

### Re: Slow step

Just to go along with what the person above said, if they tell you the activation energies, the slow step is the one with the higher or larger Ea

Margaret Akey
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:18 am

### Re: Slow step

slow step is the one that matches the experimentally determined rate law

anthony_trieu2L
Posts: 60
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2018 12:29 am

### Re: Slow step

The addition, the slow step should not contain an intermediate as one of its reactants since it cannot appear in the rate law.