Quick and easy rate equations for multistep reactions

Teachers can apply the chemical engineering education approach, to teach students, involved in the field of chemical kinetics, the way to develop reaction rate equations based upon application of the quasi-stationary-state approximation (QSSA) to the chemical mechanism. It has been observed that a number of general methods are available, to develop analytical rate equations for large multistep reactions, without making assumptions about the existence or identities of rate-determining steps. One of these general methods has been developed by Helfferich, which applies to reactions, where all reactants, final product, and free catalyst concentrations are significantly greater than the concentrations of the intermediates. Another method relaxes the requirement that the catalyst concentration exceed that of the reactive intermediates.