The rate law of a reaction is rate = k[D][X]. What are the units of the rate constant?

1 Answer
Mar 13, 2017

The rate constant #k# takes on whatever units it needs to such that the units on the lefthand side are the same as on the righthand side. Supposing the units on the left are #"M/s"#, we really just have:

#"M"/"s" = (???)("M")("M")#

Solve for the #???#.

#"M"/"s" xx 1/("M" cdot "M") = ???#

Thus,

#??? = color(blue)(1/("M"cdot"s"))#

or

#color(blue)("M"^(-1)cdot"s"^(-1))#

or

#color(blue)("L"/("mol"cdot"s"))#