Question

What if the rate-limiting step does not include one of the initial reactants?

a) Reaction proceeds faster
b) Reaction is inhibited
c) Rate depends on the excluded reactant
d) No effect on the reaction rate

Answer 1

The reaction rate is unaffected if an initial reactant is not part of the rate-limiting step, as only species involved in that step can influence the rate.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the rate-limiting step does not include one of the initial reactants, the reaction rate depends on the concentration of the reactants involved in the rate-limiting step, not on the excluded reactant. Therefore, if an initial reactant is not part of the rate-limiting step, it will not affect the reaction rate, leading to answer choice (d) No effect on the reaction rate. This is due to the concept that the slowest step in a reaction mechanism dictates the overall rate of the reaction, and only species involved in that step can influence the rate at which the reaction occurs.