Stoichiometry II Chemical Equations

For our present purposes, we use the term reaction mechanism to mean a set of simple or elementary chemical reactions which, when combined, are sufficient to explain (i) the products and stoichiometry of the overall chemical reaction, (ii) any intermediates observed during the progress of the reaction and (iii) the kinetics of the process. Each of these elementary steps, at least in solution, is invariably unimolecular or bimolecular and, in isolation, will necessarilybe kinetically first or second order. In contrast, the kinetic order of each reaction component (i.e. the exponent of each concentration term in the rate equation) in the observed chemical reaction does not necessarily coincide with its stoichiometric coefficient in the overall balanced chemical equation. 

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