For a hypothetical chemical reaction, the rate constant is determined to be 3.2 10⁻³ L mol ⁻¹ s ⁻¹ . What is the overall order of this reaction?

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 mol ⁻¹ s ⁻¹ , which can be rewritten as ( mol L ⁻¹)⁻¹ s ⁻¹ . Comparing the exponents of ( mol L ⁻¹) : 1 - n = -1 n = 2 Therefore, the overall order of the reaction is second order. Answer: Second