CHM1046 LECTURE NOTES13.6Reaction Mechanisms: A series of individual chemical steps by which an overall chemical reaction occursConsider the reaction: Ha + 2ICl 2HCl + I2Mechanism:Step 1: H2 + ICl HI + HClStep 2: HI + IClHCl + I2(the HI acts as an intermediate and will not be present in the overall reaction)Overall reaction: H2 + 2ICl2HCl + I2-Each step is called an elementary step- The Rate Law is derived from the slow step****(slow step is also known as the rate-determining step)(Look at figure 13.16 in the book, the Energy diagram for a 2 step mechanism)-The number of transition states = the number of reaction steps- The step with the larger ΔEa is the slower
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