
Coefficients can be used to predict rate laws when a reaction occurs in a single elementary step. In such cases, the rate law can be written using the stoichiometry of the balanced chemical equation. For example, the rate law for a bimolecular elementary reaction, where two molecules come together and react, can be determined directly from the coefficients because the rate of the reaction depends directly on the concentration of the molecules involved. However, when a reaction occurs in multiple steps, the exponents of the rate law can only be solved using experimental data. Rate laws are determined experimentally and cannot be predicted by reaction stoichiometry.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| When can coefficients be used to predict rate laws? | When a chemical transformation occurs in a single bond-forming/breaking step, the reaction orders are defined as the stoichiometric coefficients. |
| When a reaction occurs in a single elementary step, the rate law can be written with the stoichiometry of the balanced chemical equation. | |
| When a reaction occurs in a series of elementary steps, exponents of rate law can only be solved using experimental data. | |
| How do coefficients affect the rate law? | The stoichiometric coefficient does not affect how the rate law should be written. |
| The rate law is determined by the rate of disappearance of the reactant. | |
| The rate law for elementary reactions can be determined from the coefficients of the elementary step reaction equation because elementary reactions describe what is happening at the molecular level. | |
| Rate laws are determined by experiment and cannot be predicted by reaction stoichiometry. |
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What You'll Learn
- Rate laws are determined experimentally, not by reaction stoichiometry
- Rate law refers to how the concentration of the reaction changes the rate
- The stoichiometric coefficient does not affect how the rate law is written
- The rate of reaction is dependent on the concentration of reactants
- The rate law for elementary reactions can be determined from molecularity

Rate laws are determined experimentally, not by reaction stoichiometry
Rate laws provide a mathematical description of how changes in the amount of a substance affect the rate of a chemical reaction. They are determined experimentally and cannot be predicted by reaction stoichiometry. The rate law expression cannot be obtained from the balanced chemical equation as the partial orders of the reactants are not necessarily equal to the stoichiometric coefficients.
The rate constant k and the exponents m, n, and p must be determined experimentally by observing how the rate of a reaction changes as the concentrations of the reactants are changed. The rate constant k is independent of the concentration of A, B, or C, but it does vary with temperature and surface area. The exponents in a rate law describe the effects of the reactant concentrations on the reaction rate and define the reaction order. For example, if the exponent m is 1, the reaction is first order with respect to A.
The stoichiometric coefficient does not affect how the rate law should be written. For instance, in the reaction ${N_2}{O_4} \rightleftharpoons 2N{O_2}$, the stoichiometric coefficient is 2, but it does not impact the rate law. Similarly, in the reaction 2A→B, the coefficient is 2, but it does not alter the rate law, which is expressed as rate = k [A]^2.
It is worth noting that there are instances where you can write down rate laws using stoichiometric coefficients as reaction orders. This occurs when a chemical transformation happens in a single bond-forming or breaking step, and the reaction orders are, by definition, the stoichiometric coefficients. However, these instances are specific and do not apply to all reactions.
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Rate law refers to how the concentration of the reaction changes the rate
Rate law is a mathematical expression that describes the relationship between the rate of a chemical reaction and the concentrations of the reactants involved. It provides insight into how the concentration of reactants affects the speed of the reaction. The general form of a rate law equation is:
$$rate = k[A]^n[B]^m$$
Where:
- $rate$ refers to the rate of the chemical reaction
- $k$ is the rate constant, which is specific to the reaction and depends on factors such as temperature
- $[A]$ and $[B]$ are the molar concentrations of the reactants
- $n$ and $m$ are the reaction orders, which represent the dependence of the reaction rate on the concentration of each reactant
The reaction orders, $n$ and $m$, can be determined experimentally by measuring the change in reactant concentrations over time. The sum of these reaction orders gives the overall order of the reaction. For example, if $n=1$ and $m=2$, the overall order of the reaction is $1+2=3$.
The overall order of the reaction is important because it determines how the rate of the reaction changes when the concentration of reactants is altered. In a zero-order reaction, changing the concentration of reactants has no effect on the reaction rate. In a first-order reaction, doubling the reactant concentration will double the reaction rate. In a second-order reaction, doubling the reactant concentration will quadruple the reaction rate, and so on.
Rate laws are crucial in various applications, such as in the pharmaceutical industry, where the production rates of drugs must be tightly controlled, and in chemical manufacturing, where reactant concentrations directly impact production yields and costs.
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The stoichiometric coefficient does not affect how the rate law is written
$$rate = k[A]^m[B]^n[C]^p$$
Where [A], [B], and [C] are the molar concentrations of the reactants, and k is the rate constant. The exponents m, n, and p are positive integers.
In a chemical reaction, the stoichiometric coefficients represent the proportional relationship between the reactants and products. For example, in the reaction:
$$aA + bB \rightarrow cC + dD$$
The coefficients a, b, c, and d indicate the relative amounts of each reactant and product involved in the reaction. However, these coefficients do not provide information about the rates at which these substances participate in the reaction.
The rate law, on the other hand, describes how the concentration of reactants affects the rate of the reaction. The reaction order, represented by the exponents in the rate law, indicates the sensitivity of the reaction rate to changes in reactant concentrations.
While stoichiometric coefficients do not affect the form of the rate law, they can influence the value of the rate constant (k). The rate constant depends on factors such as temperature, pressure, and surface area, and it indicates the speed of the reaction. A smaller rate constant indicates a slower reaction, while a larger rate constant indicates a faster reaction.
In certain cases of elementary reactions, which occur in a single step without intermediates, the rate law can be written directly from the balanced chemical equation. In these cases, the reaction orders are the same as the stoichiometric coefficients. However, most reactions occur through a series of elementary steps, making it challenging to write rate laws directly from balanced equations.
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The rate of reaction is dependent on the concentration of reactants
The rate of a chemical reaction is the measure of the change in concentration of the disappearance of reactants or the appearance of products per unit time. It is given by the equation:
> rate = k \[ [A]^m{[B]^n{[C]^p}\]
Where, [A], [B], [C] are the molar concentrations of the reactants, and k is the rate constant. The exponents m, n, and p are positive integers.
The rate of reaction also depends on the type of solvent, the presence and concentration of a catalyst, the physical state of reactants, the size of reactants, and the temperature.
The rate law refers to how the concentration of the reaction changes the rate. It is an expression that relates the rate of a reaction to the rate constant and the concentrations of the reactants. The rate of reaction for a given reaction is a crucial tool that enables us to calculate the specific order of a reaction.
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The rate law for elementary reactions can be determined from molecularity
The rate law for a chemical reaction is a differential equation that describes how the rate of the reaction changes with the concentrations of the reactants. It is derived from the balanced chemical equation and is expressed in terms of the stoichiometric coefficients and the rate constant.
For elementary reactions, the rate law can be determined from the molecularity, or the order of the reaction, which is equal to the stoichiometric coefficient. In other words, the rate of an overall reaction is determined by a single elementary reaction, called the rate-determining step. This is because the reaction occurs in a single bond-forming/bond-breaking step, and so the reaction orders are, by definition, the stoichiometric coefficients.
For example, consider the reaction 2A → B. According to the rate law, the rate = k [A]^2, where k is the rate constant. Here, the stoichiometric coefficient of A is 2, and the order of the reaction is also 2. This means that the rate of the reaction is directly proportional to the square of the concentration of A.
However, it is important to note that the rate law is different from the equilibrium expression. While the rate law refers to how the concentration of the reaction changes over time, the equilibrium constant Kc refers to the amount of products and reactants at equilibrium. In some cases, the exponents in the rate law may be different from the balanced chemical equation, and so Kc may not be equal to the ratio of the forward and reverse rate constants, kf/kr.
In summary, for elementary reactions, the rate law can be determined from the molecularity or the order of the reaction, which is equal to the stoichiometric coefficient. This is because elementary reactions occur in a single step, and so the reaction orders are defined by the stoichiometric coefficients. However, it is important to note that the rate law is distinct from the equilibrium expression and that the exponents in the rate law may differ from the balanced chemical equation.
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Frequently asked questions
Coefficients can be used to predict rate laws when the reaction occurs in a single elementary step.
Elementary reactions describe exactly what is happening at the molecular level. For example, in a bimolecular elementary reaction, two molecules come together and react.
The stoichiometric coefficient does not affect how the rate law should be written. However, coefficients can become exponents in the speed equation when dealing with elementary reactions.
The formula for the rate law is:
> rate = k[A]^m[B]^n[C]^p
where [A], [B], [C] are the molar concentrations of the reactants, and k is the rate constant.




























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