Reactants X X\,X and Y Y\,Y react together in the presence of an acid catalyst:
X(aq)+Y(aq)→Z(aq)+W(aq) X(aq) + Y(aq) \rightarrow Z(aq) + W(aq) X(aq)+Y(aq)→Z(aq)+W(aq)The rate equation for this reaction is:
rate=k[Y][H+]2 \text{rate} = k[Y][H^+]^2 rate=k[Y][H+]2Table 1 shows how the relative initial rate of the reaction varies with different concentrations of each species at a constant temperature.
| Experiment | [X] / mol dm−3[X] \,/\, \text{mol dm}^{-3}[X]/mol dm−3 | [Y] / mol dm−3[Y] \,/\, \text{mol dm}^{-3}[Y]/mol dm−3 | [H+] / mol dm−3[H^+] \,/\, \text{mol dm}^{-3}[H+]/mol dm−3 | Relative initial rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.40 | 0.15 | 0.20 | 1.20 |
| 2 | 0.80 | 0.15 | 0.20 | |
| 3 | 0.40 | 0.20 | 0.80 | |
| 4 | 0.60 | 0.30 | 0.10 |
Complete Table 1 by calculating the missing values.
A suggested mechanism for this reaction is:
Deduce the rate-determining step for this reaction and give a reason for your answer.