Topics:
➡️Order of a Reaction
In the rate equation (4.4)
Rate = k [A]^x [B]^y
x and y indicate how sensitive the rate is to the change in concentration
of A and B. Sum of these exponents, i.e., x + y in (4.4) gives the overall
order of a reaction whereas x and y represent the order with respect
to the reactants A and B respectively.
Hence, the sum of powers of the concentration of the reactants
in the rate law expression is called the order of that chemical
reaction.
Order of a reaction can be 0, 1, 2, 3 and even a fraction.
➡️zero order reaction
A zero order reaction means that the rate of reaction is independent of the
concentration of reactants.
➡️Elementary reactions
A balanced chemical equation never gives us a true picture of how
a reaction takes place since rarely a reaction gets completed in one
step. The reactions taking place in one step are called elementary
reactions.
➡️Complex reactions
When a sequence of elementary reactions (called mechanism)
gives us the products, the reactions are called complex reactions.
