If the rate law obtained for a given reaction is rate = k(X)n (Y)m, what is the overall order of the reaction?
Answer Details
The rate law of a chemical reaction describes the relationship between the rate of the reaction and the concentrations of the reactants. The rate law equation given is:
rate = k(X)^n(Y)^m
where k is the rate constant, (X) and (Y) are the concentrations of the reactants X and Y, and n and m are the reaction orders with respect to X and Y, respectively.
The overall order of the reaction is the sum of the reaction orders with respect to each reactant. In this case, the overall order of the reaction is:
n + m
Therefore, the correct answer is "n + m".
To summarize, the overall order of the reaction is the sum of the reaction orders with respect to each reactant, and it is given by the exponents of the concentrations in the rate law equation.