The rate law of a reaction is a way to describe how fast a chemical reaction happens depending on the amounts of the reactants. It tells us which reactants affect the speed of the reaction and by how much.
Some key points in simple terms:
- It shows how changing the amount of a reactant changes the reaction speed.
- The influence of each reactant is called the order of the reaction.
- The overall reaction order is the sum of these individual influences.
- You cannot figure it out just by looking at the chemical equation; it must be found through experiments.
In short, the rate law connects reaction speed with reactant amounts.