Question

Consider the energy diagram below showing the conversion of A to G a) How many steps are included in this overall reaction mechanism? b) Label each step as endothermic or exothermic. Is the overall reaction endothermid or exothermic? c) Label ΔE and Ea for each step. Label ΔEnn for the reaction overall. d) Which step is rate-determining? e) Which points correspond to transitions states? f) Which points correspond to intermediates? g) Indicate whether each transition state most resembles the “reactants" or the "products" of that reaction step. Justify your answers re coordinate

Justify Answers.

Answer 1

a) Three steps are included in this overall reaction mechanism. These include

1) A to C

2) C to E

3) E to G

b)

1) A to C endothermic as C has more energy than A.

2) C to E endothermic as E has more energy than C.

3) E to G exothermic as G has less energy than E.

c)

Blue line represents Delta Erxn for overall reaction Red line represents Ea for each step Green line represents Delta E for each step reaction coordinate

d)

The step 1) A to C is the rate determining step as it has highest value of activation energy.

e)
The points B, D and F corresponds to the transition states.

f)

The points C and E corresponds to intermediates.

g)

The transition state B most resembles product C of that reaction step as the transition state B is closer to the product C of that reaction step.

The transition state D most resembles product E of that reaction step as the transition state D is closer to the product E of that reaction step.

The transition state F most resembles reactant E of that reaction step as the transition state F is closer to the reactant E of that reaction step.