Question

Chemistry 12 Question!


About reaction intermediate


It is a reaction that forms products from some reactants and then itself becomes a new reactant in another step.


Ex. A + 2X --> AX2
AX2 +X --> AX + X2
AX + A --> A2 + X

Overall reaction : 2A + 2X --> A2 + X2

Which of these are reaction intermediates?

Answer 1

Do you see anything on the right side of an arrow which then appears on the left side of an arrow in a later step? That would be a reaction intermediate or reactive intermediate.

Answer 2

@whpalmer4, so you mean AX2 and AX? Is there anything else?

I have a really important question. Any substance would be reaction intermediate if it is product than it becomes a reactant in later step. Am I right? Can it be vice versa?

Answer 3

Help please?

Answer 4

AX2 and AX appear to be reaction intermediates.

The text I'm looking at defines a reactive intermediate as "a species produced in one step of the mechanism and consumed in a later step." I believe that is equivalent to what you said.

Answer 5

I found a new information that it agrees with what we discussed above. However, I found something interesting that if a substance is a product on the left side and then it appears on the right side as reactants, it becomes a catalyst.