A catalytic converter facilitates several gas-phase elementary reactions to reduce automobile emissions. Four of the elementary steps are shown below.
(a) For each elementary step (A)–(D), write the corresponding rate law expression.
(b) Identify the overall reaction order for each step.
(c) Rank the four elementary steps from most sensitive to least sensitive to a two-fold increase in the concentration of CO, justifying your ordering quantitatively.
(d) Discuss how the molecularity of each step relates to the likelihood of its occurrence on the catalyst surface, citing specific features of steps (C) and (D).