Equations · equation
Law of Mass Action
Chemical Kinetics · 1864
- Equation
- rate = k·[A]^m·[B]^n
- Field
- Chemical Kinetics
- Named After
- Cato Guldberg · Peter Waage
- Symbols
- [A], [B] concentrations of the reactants · k rate constant · m, n reaction orders (found by experiment, not from the balanced equation)
- Year
- 1864
Significance
How fast a reaction runs depends on how much of each ingredient is present — the founding statement of chemical kinetics, worked out by two Norwegian brothers-in-law. The exponents hide the reaction's actual mechanism, which is why chemists measure them.
Referenced by
element
equation
theory
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