The mechanism of the reaction is as follows:
Step 1: Atom [A] adds to the bond of Atom [C], forming an intermediate product [AC]. This step is endothermic, with an activation energy of [Ea1].
$$
\ce{A + C -> AC}[Ea1]
$$
Step 2: Atom [C] reacts with Atom [D] to form Atom [AD] and break the bond between atoms [B] and [D]. This step is exothermic, with an activation energy of [Ea2].
$$
\ce{C + D -> AD}[Ea2]
$$
Step 3: Atom [AD] combines with Atom [AC] to form the final product [P]. This step is also exothermic, with an activation energy of [Ea3].
$$
\ce{AD + AC -> P}[Ea3]
$$
The overall reaction is an exothermic process, with the total energy released being greater than the energy required to break all the bonds in the reactants. Therefore, the overall activation energy for the reaction is the sum of the activation energies of the individual steps, which is equal to [Ea1] + [Ea2] + [Ea3].
The reaction rate is influenced by the concentration of the reactants, with a higher concentration leading to a faster reaction rate. Additionally, the presence of a catalyst can increase the reaction rate by reducing the activation energy required for the reaction.
Overall, the mechanism of the reaction involves a series of discrete steps, each with its own activation energy and rate constant. The overall reactionrate is determined by the slowest step in the sequence, which is the rate-determining step.
Keywords: reaction mechanism, activation energy, rate constant, catalyst, endothermic, exothermic.