List two main differences between the order and the molecularity of a reaction.
Solution
Order of reaction: (i) the sum of the powers of the concentration terms in the experimentally determined rate law; (ii) it can be zero, fractional or whole, and applies to the overall reaction (for a complex reaction it is fixed by the slowest step).
Molecularity: (i) the number of reacting species colliding simultaneously in an elementary step — a theoretical quantity; (ii) it is always a positive whole number and has no meaning for an overall complex reaction.
Molecularity: (i) the number of reacting species colliding simultaneously in an elementary step — a theoretical quantity; (ii) it is always a positive whole number and has no meaning for an overall complex reaction.
CBSE Class 12 Board · 2011 · Delhi Compartment · Subjective