SPECIES THAT OCCUR IN A REACTION PATHWAY BUT NOT IN THE OVERALL REACTION ARE KNOWN AS

• A. Reactants
• B. Inhibitors
• C. Products
• D. Intermediates ✓

In a chemical reaction, species that occur in a reaction pathway but not in the overall reaction are known as intermediates. These intermediates are the transient chemical species that are formed during the reaction process but are subsequently consumed in further steps, leading to the final products. They play a crucial role in connecting the initial reactants to the final products by participating in intermediate steps of the reaction mechanism.

For example, in a multistep reaction like the decomposition of ozone, intermediates are formed temporarily during each elementary step of the reaction pathway but do not appear in the final balanced equation representing the overall reaction. These intermediates facilitate the conversion of reactants into products by undergoing specific transformations within the reaction mechanism.

Understanding intermediates is essential for elucidating complex reaction pathways and mechanisms, as they provide insight into how reactants progress through various stages before yielding the final products. By identifying and studying these transient species, chemists can gain a deeper understanding of the underlying processes involved in chemical reactions.

In other words, species that occur in a reaction pathway but not in the overall reaction are known as intermediates. Intermediates are molecules that are formed during the course of a chemical reaction and are consumed in subsequent steps, but do not appear in the final products of the reaction. They play a crucial role in facilitating the conversion of reactants into products by providing alternative pathways and stabilizing transition states.

Intermediates are transient species that exist only momentarily during a reaction before being consumed to form the final products. They are often unstable and highly reactive, making them difficult to isolate and study directly. However, their presence can be inferred through various experimental techniques such as spectroscopy, chromatography, and kinetic studies.

In a chemical reaction pathway, intermediates act as stepping stones that connect the initial reactants with the final products. By lowering the activation energy barrier of the reaction, intermediates accelerate the overall rate of the process. Understanding the formation and transformation of intermediates is essential for elucidating the mechanisms of complex chemical reactions and designing efficient synthetic routes in organic chemistry.