Rate-determining step

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-013477",
  "term": "Rate-determining step",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "The elementary step in a multistep mechanism whose rate constant exerts a stronger effect on the overall rate than any other rate constant. IUPAC regards it as synonymous with rate-controlling and rate-limiting, although some authors reserve it for an initial slow step followed by fast steps, which caps the overall rate. For such a mechanism the observed rate law follows that slow step, together with any fast equilibria that precede it.",
  "synonyms": [
    "rate-limiting step"
  ],
  "subject": "Physical and Biophysical Chemistry",
  "see_also": [
    "Michaelis-Menten kinetics",
    "rate-controlling step"
  ],
  "references": [
    "PAC, 1994, 66, 1077. 'Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)' on page 1157 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199466051077)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/rate-determining-step/"
}