Mechanism of a hypothetical reaction is given below:
(i) (fast)
(ii) (slow)
(iii) (fast)
The overall order of the reaction will be:

Question

Mechanism of a hypothetical reaction  is given below:
(i)  (fast)
(ii)  (slow)
(iii)  (fast)
The overall order of the reaction will be:

Canvas Classes · Accepted Answer

🧠 The Slow Step Rule
A chemical reaction is only as fast as its slowest step (the bottleneck). To find the overall order, we start with the slow step and use the fast equilibrium steps to substitute any "illegal" intermediates.

🗺️ The Kinetic Derivation
1. The Bottleneck: From step (ii), .
2. The Intermediate Problem:  is an intermediate and cannot be in the final rate law.
3. The Equilibrium Shortcut: From step (i), .
   
4. Final Substitution:
   
5. Summing Orders: .

⚡ The 30-Second Insig

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