Nitrogen monoxide reacts with ozone in the stratosphere according to the balanced chemical equation
NO(g)+O3(g)→NO2(g)+O2(g)
Kinetic studies at 250K produced the experimental rate law
rate=k[NO][O3]2
Use the information above to analyze how the rate depends on reactant concentration and to interpret the chemical meaning of the numerical exponents.
(1) Part 1: Determine the overall order of the reaction.
(2) Part 2: If the initial concentration of both NO and O3 is reduced by 50%, calculate the factor by which the initial reaction rate changes. Show your reasoning.
(3) Part 3: Describe, in words, what the overall reaction order signifies about the dependence of the rate on reactant concentrations, and explain why the overall order need not match the stoichiometric coefficients in the balanced equation.