Question

A reaction proceeds in three steps, one is slow while the other two are fast. Which step will determine the rate of the reaction?

Answer 1

1. In a reaction that proceeds in three steps, if one step is slow and the other two are fast, then the slow step determines the overall rate of the reaction.
2. This is because the slowest step acts as a bottleneck, limiting the speed at which the entire reaction can occur. It is called the rate-determining step, and only the reactants involved in this step are used to write the rate law for the reaction.