Final answer:
The rate law indicates a reaction order based on the exponents of the concentration terms, with the given example being third order overall due to it being first order in h2po2- and second order in oh-.
Step-by-step explanation:
The provided rate law rate = k[h2po2-] [oh-]2 indicates the reaction's dependence on the molar concentrations of the reactant h2po2- and the hydroxide ion oh-. This particular rate law suggests that the reaction is first order with respect to h2po2- and second order with respect to oh-, thus third-order overall. By comparing this rate law with other examples given, we can see that the overall order of a reaction is the sum of the exponents of the concentration terms in the rate equation. For instance, a rate law rate = k[NO]2 [H2] is third order overall because the sum of exponents is 3 (2+1).