The rate-limiting step is the slowest step in a chemical reaction that determines the overall rate of the reaction. The rate-limiting step can be thought of as a bottleneck that controls the rate of the reaction. The rate of the overall reaction is limited by the rate of the rate-limiting step.
In many reactions the rate-limiting step is the slowest step in the reaction. However this is not always the case. In some reactions the rate-limiting step may be a fast step that is rate-determining because of the slow reaction of one of its intermediates.
The rate-limiting step may also be the slowest step in a multistep reaction when the overall rate is limited by the slowest step in the reaction.
The rate-limiting step may also be the slowest step in a multistep reaction when the overall rate is limited by the slowest step in the reaction.
What is the rate limiting step?
The rate limiting step is the step that controls the rate of the reaction.
