Engineering English
Rate Law
Chemical Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: A rate law is an equation relating the reaction rate to the concentrations of reactants, often raised to powers determined by the reaction mechanism. It is used to model the kinetics of a chemical reaction.
Example in context
“The rate law for the bimolecular reaction was found to be first order in each reactant.”
“Bimoleküler reaksiyonun hız yasasının her bir reaktan için birinci dereceden olduğu bulundu.”
Where engineers use it
The rate law appears in kinetic experiments to determine reaction orders and in reactor design to calculate conversion. Engineers derive it from initial rate or integrated rate data.
Synonyms: rate equation
Practice: can you use “Rate Law” at work?
You have concentration-time data for a batch reactor. Fit the data to find the rate law and reaction order.
Show a model answer
“Determine the rate law from the initial rate data.”
“Rate Law” in 21 languages
| English | Rate Law |
|---|---|
| Turkish | hız yasası |
| French | loi de vitesse |
| German | Geschwindigkeitsgesetz |
| Spanish | ley de velocidad |
| Chinese | 速率定律 |
| Arabic | قانون السرعة |
| Portuguese | lei de velocidade |
| Russian | закон скорости |
| Japanese | 速度則 |
| Italian | legge di velocità |
| Vietnamese | định luật tốc độ |
| Hindi | दर नियम |
| Thai | กฎอัตรา |
| Indonesian | hukum laju |
| Korean | 속도 법칙 |
| Bengali | হার নিয়ম |
| Dutch | snelheidswet |
| Swedish | hastighetslag |
| Finnish | nopeuslaki |
| Ukrainian | закон швидкості |
Frequently asked questions
What does Rate Law mean in engineering?
A rate law is an equation relating the reaction rate to the concentrations of reactants, often raised to powers determined by the reaction mechanism. It is used to model the kinetics of a chemical reaction. In Chemical Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Rate Law?
Rate Law is pronounced /reɪt lɔː/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Rate Law used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The rate law for the bimolecular reaction was found to be first order in each reactant.”
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