Slow step

[kevinolvera1j]

How slow does the slowest step need to be in order to be considered the slowest step? In other words is there a real time value?

[Deepika Reddy 1A]

There's not a certain time that is considered the slowest step. It is just that it is slow relative to the other steps in the mechanism. It needs to be the slowest out of all the steps in the mechanism and then it can be called the slowest step or the rate-determining step.

[rabiasumar2E]

There isn't a numerical value that you would use to deduce if it's a slow step or not. It would just be the slowest step out of all of the steps.

[Diana A 2L]

^^^ Yes. “Slowness” is relative to the reaction mechanism.

[Abby Soriano 1J]

The problem will most likely specify which of the steps is the slow step. You will probably be asked if a proposed mechanism matches the observed rate law, but you won't need to actually calculate a value for the slow step.

[Kayla Maldonado 1C]

The problem will most likely specify which of the steps is the slow step. You will probably be asked if a proposed mechanism matches the observed rate law, but you won't need to actually calculate a value for the slow step.

If the rate matches the observed rate law is that the slowest step?

[Diana A 2L]

The problem will most likely specify which of the steps is the slow step. You will probably be asked if a proposed mechanism matches the observed rate law, but you won't need to actually calculate a value for the slow step.

If the rate matches the observed rate law is that the slowest step?

Yes.

[Jared_Yuge]

If the observed rate law is given then you dont need to worry about identifying the slow step because it will just be the one that matches the given observed rate law