Use mathematical software or a spreadsheet to examine the time dependence of [I] in the reaction mechanism . In all of the following calculations, use [A]₀=1mol dm⁻³ and a time range of 0 to 5 s.

(a) Plot [In] against t for k_a=10 s⁻¹ and k_b=1 s⁻¹.

(b) Increase the ratio kb/ka steadily by decreasing the value of k_a and examine the plot of [I] against t at each turn. What approximation about d[I]/dt becomes increasingly valid?

ka A- I kb P