Final answer:
The rate determining step of the hydrolysis of t-butyl chloride is the slowest step that involves the t-butyl group and is independent of water concentration, reflecting the first-order dependency on t-butyl chloride alone.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rate determining step for the hydrolysis of t-butyl chloride (which is similar to t-butyl bromide) is the step whose rate law agrees with the overall experimentally determined rate law. In the case of t-butyl chloride, the experimentally derived rate law indicates the reaction is first order in (CH3)3CBr and zeroth order in water, which means that the rate of reaction is only dependent on the concentration of t-butyl chloride, and not on the concentration of water. The rate law can be expressed as rate = k[(CH3)3CBr], where k is the rate constant. Consequently, the rate determining step is the slowest step in the reaction mechanism that involves the concerted loss of the leaving group, contributing to the reaction's overall rate. Chemists can deduce that this step must involve the t-butyl chloride and be independent of water concentration, which corresponds to the unimolecular rate law suggested by the experimental data.