The rate determining step of a multi step reaction is
- A. the fastest step
- B. the slowest step, which controls the overall rate
- C. always the first step
- D. the step with the largest number of molecules
Explanation
An overall reaction can proceed no faster than its slowest stage, in the same way that a road is only as clear as its narrowest point, so the rate equation reflects the species involved up to and including that step. This is why the experimentally measured order often differs from the coefficients in the overall equation. The slow step is the one with the highest activation energy.
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