A reaction mechanism can be chosen from a list of candidates by measuring the dependence of this quantity on concentration at time equals zero. For 10 points each:
[10m] Name this quantity that usually follows an integer-exponent power law with concentration. Empirical laws named for this quantity are written in both “differential” and “integrated” forms.
ANSWER: reaction rate [or rate law; reject “rate constant”; reject “k”]
[10h] Another way to narrow down a list of mechanisms is to measure this effect. In this effect, deuterium substitution only slows down a reaction if proton transfer is rate-limiting.
ANSWER: kinetic isotope effect [or KIE; prompt on isotope effect; prompt on deuterium isotope effect]
[10e] Biochemists suss out reaction mechanisms using isotopes like tritium or carbon-14 which are easy to detect because they have this property. Marie Curie discovered elements that have this property.
ANSWER: radioactive [or radioactivity; or undergoing radioactive decay; or emitting radiation; or radiating or other word forms; accept any specific types of decay like alpha decay or beta decay]
<Adam Silverman, Science - Chemistry> ~20834~ <Editor: Adam Silverman>