Elementary Reactions

Definition

An elementary reaction is a single step process in which molecules collide and react to form products.

Related terms

Reaction Mechanism:

This refers to the sequence of elementary reactions or steps that make up an overall chemical reaction.

Rate-Determining Step:

This is the slowest step in a sequence of elementary reactions which determines the overall rate at which the entire process occurs.

Molecularity:

This term refers to the number of molecules participating in an elementary step.