Question

What is meant by relative rates of reaction?

Answer 1

Relative rates of reaction refer to the rates at which different reactants are consumed or products are formed, compared to each other, based on their stoichiometric coefficients in the balanced chemical equation.

For the reaction \[\ce{2H2 + O2 -> 2H2O}\]

The relative rates are

Rate = \[\ce{\frac{1}{2} \frac{d[H_2]}{dt}}\]

= \[\ce{-\frac{d[O_2]}{dt}}\]

= \[\ce{\frac{1}{2} \frac{d[H_2O]}{dt}}\]