For a reaction A + B Products , the rate constant has the unit L ² mol ⁻² s ⁻¹ . If the reaction is first order with respect to reactant A , what is the order of the reaction with respect to reactant B ?

Step-by-step solution

The general unit for the rate constant k of an n -th order reaction is ( mol L ⁻¹)^ 1-n s ⁻¹ . The given unit is L ² mol ⁻² s ⁻¹ , which can be rewritten as ( mol L ⁻¹)⁻² s ⁻¹ . Equating the exponents: 1 - n = -2 n = 3 The overall order of the reaction is 3 . The overall order is the sum of the partial orders with respect to each reactant: Overall order = Order with respect to A + Order with respect to B 3 = 1 + Order with respect to B Order with respect to B = 2 Answer: 2