The reaction rate equation is a mathematical expression that relates the rate of reaction to the concentration of reactants. It is commonly written as: \( \text{Rate} = k[A]^m[B]^n \)Here:
- \(\text{Rate}\) is how quickly the reaction occurs.
- \(k\) is the rate constant, specific to a given reaction.
- \([A]\) and \([B]\) are the concentrations of the reactants.
- \(m\) and \(n\) signify the order of the reaction with respect to each reactant.
The exponents \(m\) and \(n\) indicate how sensitive the rate is to changes in concentration. If any exponent is 1 or higher, the reaction rate changes significantly with concentration. This formula helps chemists predict how the rate will behave if they change the concentration of the reactants.