In
chemistry
Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...
, a reaction step of a
chemical reaction
A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the chemistry, chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. When chemical reactions occur, the atoms are rearranged and the reaction is accompanied by an Gibbs free energy, ...
is defined as: ''"An
elementary reaction
An elementary reaction is a chemical reaction in which one or more chemical species react directly to form Product (chemistry), products in a single reaction step and with a single transition state. In practice, a reaction is assumed to be element ...
, constituting one of the stages of a
stepwise reaction in which a
reaction intermediate
In chemistry, a reaction intermediate, or intermediate, is a molecular entity arising within the sequence of a stepwise chemical reaction. It is formed as the reaction product of an elementary step, from the reactants and/or preceding interme ...
(or, for the first step, the reactants) is converted into the next
reaction intermediate
In chemistry, a reaction intermediate, or intermediate, is a molecular entity arising within the sequence of a stepwise chemical reaction. It is formed as the reaction product of an elementary step, from the reactants and/or preceding interme ...
(or, for the last step, the
products
Product may refer to:
Business
* Product (business), an item that can be offered to a market to satisfy the desire or need of a customer.
* Product (project management), a deliverable or set of deliverables that contribute to a business solution
...
) in the sequence of intermediates between reactants and products"''.
"Definition of reaction step"
– IUPAC
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC ) is an international federation of National Adhering Organizations working for the advancement of the chemical sciences, especially by developing nomenclature and terminology. It is ...
Gold Book
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) publishes many books which contain its complete list of definitions. The definitions are divided initially into seven IUPAC Colour Books: Gold, Green, Blue, Purple, Orange, White, and R ...
To put it simply, it is an elementary reaction which goes from one reaction intermediate to another or to the final product.
Notes
Chemical kinetics
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