The reaction rate (rate of reaction) or speed of reaction for a reactant or product in a particular reaction is intuitively defined as how fast or slow a reaction takes place. For example, the oxidation of iron under the atmosphere is a slow reaction that can take many years, but the combustion of butane in a fire is a reaction that takes place in fractions of a second.
Chemical kinetics is the part of physical chemistry that studies reaction rates. The concepts of chemical kinetics are applied in many disciplines, such as chemical engineering, enzymology and environmental engineering.
Read more about Reaction Rate: Formal Definition of Reaction Rate, Factors Influencing Rate of Reaction, Rate Equation, Temperature Dependence, Pressure Dependence, Examples
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)
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