Slow Step Determination

[305421980]

How do we determine which step is slow? Or will this always be given?

[nehashetty_2G]

They will tell you if a step is low usually. You can use that information to decide that the slow step is what determines the rate of the reaction.

[Diana A 2L]

How do we determine which step is slow? Or will this always be given?

It should be given usually, in the case that it’s not (which could happen), you would pretend every step is the slow one and then find the rate law and check if it matches the overall rate law. Whichever one ends up matching, that’s the one with the slow step. Hope that helps.

[Jessica Li 4F]

It should be given, or the rate law will be given and whichever step matches that rate law will be the slow/rate-determining step.

[Cole Woulbroun 1J]

You will sometimes be given the slow step, but if not, you can use the equilibrium constants and equivalent ratios for each step in order to substitute values in to this step's rate law. When the rate law, which now includes these substituted values, matches with the overall rate law, then the rate-determining step has been found.

[Samuel Tzeng 1B]

I'm pretty sure it should be given