Final answer:
The elementary steps of a reaction mechanism explain the detailed progress of a chemical reaction at the molecular level, which the overall balanced equation does not show. The combined steps must result in the overall balanced chemical reaction. Catalysts can also be involved, altering the reaction mechanism to lower activation energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Analyzing a new reaction and considering the elementary steps that make up the mechanism of a certain reaction involves understanding how a series of small steps, or elementary reactions, come together to explain the progress of the overall chemical reaction at the molecular level. Reaction mechanisms add crucial detail that the overall balanced chemical equation does not show, much like a series of turns are required to go from your house to the grocery store.
Each elementary step must occur exactly as depicted in the step equation. Together, the steps must sum to yield the balanced chemical equation representing the entire reaction. By comparing rate laws derived from a proposed mechanism with those determined experimentally, one can decide whether a mechanism is plausible.
Catalysts are another important aspect as they alter the reaction mechanism to provide a pathway with lower activation energy. This directly affects the rate of the chemical reaction without being used up in the process. This allows a reaction to proceed more rapidly or under more desirable conditions.