Science Common Sense

1763 - What is the rate law for a chemical reaction?

The rate law is a math formula that explains how fast a chemical reaction happens. It's based on the concentration of the chemicals that are reacting, and it looks like this:

Rate = k[A]^m[B]^n

Where: - Rate is how fast the reaction happens - k is a number that depends on the reaction (it's called the rate constant) - A and B are the chemicals that are reacting - m and n are numbers that depend on how the reaction happens (they're called the order of the reaction)

For example, if the rate law is Rate = k[A]^2[B], it means that the reaction happens faster when there's more of chemical A and also when there's more of chemical B.