A gaseous reaction is experimentally determined to follow the differential rate law
rate=k[NO2]1[CO]2.
The data were collected at 400K, and the instantaneous rate of change of the NO₂ concentration is expressed in units of molL−1s−1.
Answer the following questions.
(a) Identify the overall reaction order for the process described.
(b) Derive the units that the rate constant k must carry so that the rate expression is dimensionally consistent. Show each algebraic step rather than stating the result outright.
(c) If the reaction had instead been zero order in CO while retaining first order in NO₂, explain qualitatively how and why the units of k would change.