Science
Rate laws.
Definition
Rate laws are mathematical expressions that relate the rate of a chemical reaction to the concentrations of reactants, each raised to a power called the reaction order. The rate constant (k) and reaction orders are determined experimentally, not from the balanced equation.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 A first-order reaction like radioactive decay where rate = k[A]
- 2 A second-order reaction like NO₂ decomposition where rate = k[NO₂]²
- 3 Using initial rate data from multiple trials to determine reaction orders
Key Fact
Rate = k[A]^m[B]^n, where m and n are reaction orders found experimentally