What is true about elementary reactions?

Elementary reactions are fundamental reactions that occur in a single step and can be represented by a simple chemical equation. One important characteristic of elementary reactions is that the rate of the reaction is directly related to the concentration of the reactants as described in their stoichiometric equation. This means that for an elementary reaction, the reaction rate can be expressed as a function of the concentrations of the reactants raised to the power of their respective stoichiometric coefficients in the balanced equation.

When analyzing rate equations, elementary reactions provide a straightforward relationship where, if a reaction involves the formation of products from reactants in a 1:1 molar ratio, for example, the rate law will reflect this direct relationship, retaining the same coefficients in the rate expressions. Understanding this link between the stoichiometry and the kinetics of elementary reactions is essential for chemical engineers and chemists when predicting reaction behavior and designing chemical processes.