Rate Law

A rate law describes how the speed of a chemical reaction depends on the concentration of the reactants. It expresses this relationship mathematically, often as a formula where the reaction rate equals a constant (called the rate constant) multiplied by the concentrations of reactants raised to specific powers. These powers indicate how sensitive the reaction speed is to changes in concentration. Understanding the rate law helps chemists predict how quickly a reaction will occur under different conditions and provides insight into the mechanism by which the reaction proceeds.