The rate-limiting step is the slowest step in a reaction mechanism that determines the overall reaction rate. It acts as a bottleneck, limiting the speed at which products are formed.
5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test
The rate-limiting step has the highest activation energy compared to other steps in the mechanism.
It dictates the overall reaction rate and is used to derive the rate law for complex reactions.
Identifying the rate-limiting step often involves analyzing intermediates and transition states.
Catalysts can alter the rate-limiting step by providing an alternative pathway with lower activation energy.
In multi-step mechanisms, only the reactants involved in the rate-limiting step appear in the rate law.