You are a chemist in charge of a research laboratory that is trying to increase the reaction rate for the balanced chemical reaction
X + 2Y → Z
a. One of your researchers comes into your office and states that she has found a material that significantly lowers the activation energy of the reaction. Explain the effect this will have on the rate of the reaction.
b. Another researcher states that after doing some experiments, he has determined that the rate law is
Rate = k[X][Y]
Is this possible?
c. Yet another person in the lab reports that the mechanism for the reaction is:
2Y → I (slow)
X + I → Z (fast)
Is the rate law from part b consistent with this mechanism? If not, what should
the rate law be?