Reaction Mechanism

The mechanism of a reaction is a series of reactions between the particles of a reaction that
eventually lead to the final products. A reaction may have many steps in the mechanism.

Rate
determining step

The slowest step in a reaction. It determines

the rate of the overall reaction. (note 1)

Molecularity

The number of particles reacting in the rate

determining step of a reaction.

Activated
complex

As two particles collide (with sufficient energy

to react and in the correct orientation) they
form an intermediate called the activated
complex...not literally a chemical substance,
but an intermediate in which the bonds are in
the process of being broken and formed.

The order of the

reaction

This gives information about the particles

involved in the rate determining step (which is
one step in the mechanism). For example, if
two of one type of particle are colliding, the
order with respect to that particle will be 2
(and zero to any others).

Why is the slowest step of a mechanism said to be rate determining?

It acts like a bottleneck in that it prevents the other processes from reaching the end of the
reaction and in this way determines the overall rate. It is similar to the idea of a car journey that
has to pass through an area of roadworks. The car will be slowed right down by the roadworks and
this is therefore the crucial factor in determining the overall time of the journey.