Multistep Reaction Energy Profile
▶︎ Watch it animatedinteractive step-through · ~3 min · optionalA multistep reaction energy profile shows one barrier (transition state) per elementary step, with an intermediate sitting in the valley between peaks. The highest barrier marks the slowest, rate-determining step. The overall ΔH is still just the difference between the starting reactants and final products.
The misconceptions misread the profile's features: confusing intermediates (valleys) with transition states (peaks), mistaking which barrier is rate-determining, or confusing a step's Eₐ with the overall ΔH. Peaks are transition states, valleys are intermediates, and the tallest peak is the bottleneck.
The work
3 ways in · any order
Lesson
Multistep Profiles
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A multistep profile has a peak per step and a valley per intermediate, with the tallest barrier rate-determining. The lesson reads its features, then closes with a ten-scenario check.
Diagnostic
10-item topic check
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Ten items spanning the Topic 5.10 misconceptions: multistep-profile features misread (peaks vs valleys), the rate-determining barrier misidentified, and step Eₐ confused with overall ΔH.
Targeted Practice
Drill a single misconception
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Pick one of the failure modes you missed and drill it on its own. The round is adaptive: two correct in a row clears the misconception and moves you to the next.