Consider the following Two Step Mechanism:
STEP 1: [tex]N_{2}O_{(g)}[/tex] (reversible reaction)[tex]N_{2} _ {(g)} + O _ {(g)}[/tex]
(from [tex]N_{2}O [/tex] to [tex]N_{2} + O[/tex] rate constant is [tex]k_{1}[/tex])
(from [tex]N_{2} + O [/tex] to [tex]N_{2}O [/tex] rate constant is [tex]k_{-1}[/tex])
STEP 2: [tex]O_{(g)} + N_{2}O_{(g)} -\ \textgreater \ N_{2}_{(g)} + O_{2}_{(g)}[/tex]
(rate constant for step 2 is is [tex]k_{2}[/tex])

For Question 1, assume that STEP 1 is the slow step while STEP2 is the fast step:
a. What is the overall reaction represented in this mechanism?
b. What is the rate law of the overall reaction

For Question 2, assume that STEP 1 is the fast reversible step, while STEP2 is the slow step:
a. Identify any mediates and catalysts in the above mechanism
b. Write the rate Laws for
i) First Step forward reaction
ii) First Step reverse reaction
iii) Second Step
c. The second step is rate limiting, so should its rate law be used as written to express the overall reaction rate? Why or why not?
d. Assume the first step reaches steady state, in which the rate forward rection is equal to the rate of the reverse reaction. Set these rate equal and solve for the concentration of the intermediate.
e. Use result from 2d to get the rate of the overall reaction
f. would measuring the rate law give insight into which of the two proposed mechanism (Question 1 v.s. Question 2) may be correct?

For Question 3, neither of the steps are fast or slow steps:
a. derive the rate law of this mechanism
b. derive the conditions on the rate constants of the individual mechanistic steps, under which this rate law reduces to that of question 1, in which the first step is assumed to be rate limiting.
c. derive the conditions on the rate constants of the individual mechanistic steps, under which this rate law reduces to that of question 2, in which the second step is assumed to be rate limiting.