Final answer:
The rate-determining step is the slowest step in a reaction mechanism. It controls the overall rate of the reaction. To determine the rate-determining step, compare the rate laws of the individual steps in the mechanism and identify the step whose rate law matches the experimentally determined rate law for the overall reaction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rate-determining step is the slowest step in a reaction mechanism. It is the step that controls the overall rate of the reaction. In order to determine the rate-determining step, you need to compare the rate laws of the individual steps in the mechanism. The step with the rate law that matches the experimentally determined rate law for the overall reaction is the rate-determining step.