The reaction rate or rate of reaction for a
reactant or
product in a particular
reaction is intuitively defined as how fast a reaction takes place. For example, the
oxidation of iron under the atmosphere is a slow reaction which can take years, but the combustion of butane in a fire is a reaction that takes place in fractions of a second.
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A reaction rate is the speed at which reactants are converted into products in a chemical reaction. The reaction rate is given as the instantaneous rate of change for any reactant or product, and is usually written as a derivative (e. g. d[A]/dt) with units of concentration per unit time (e. g. mol L-1 s-1).