If the reaction Cl2 (g) + O3 (g) = Cl2O (g) + O2 (g) occurred in just two steps, what would be the overall order of the reaction be?
a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4 e. not possible to determine from the information given
I chose 2 as the answer. Is this correct?
To determine the overall order of a reaction, you need to add up the individual orders of the reactants in the rate law equation. The rate law equation represents the relationship between the rate of the reaction and the concentrations of the reactants.
In this case, if the reaction occurs in just two steps, we can assume that the rate-determining step is the slowest step and will determine the overall rate of the reaction.
Let's say that the rate of the reaction is given by the following rate law equation: rate = k [Cl2]^[m] [O3]^[n]
Based on the balanced equation for the reaction, we know that the reactants Cl2 and O3 are involved in the rate-determining step, while the products Cl2O and O2 are not.
Since the concentration of Cl2 is raised by 1 in the rate law equation, the order of Cl2 is 1.
Similarly, since the concentration of O3 is raised by 1 in the rate law equation, the order of O3 is also 1.
Adding these individual orders together, the overall order of the reaction would be 1 + 1 = 2.
Therefore, your choice of 2 as the answer is correct.