Reactions with molecularity higher than 3 are very rare because:
AThe probability of more than three molecules colliding simultaneously with the correct orientation is very small
BThe activation energy is zero
CThey are forbidden by the second law of thermodynamics
DThey are too fast to measure
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. The probability of more than three molecules colliding simultaneously with the correct orientation is very small
Simultaneous collision of >3 molecules with the right orientation and energy is statistically improbable. Hence higher-molecularity reactions occur via multi-step mechanisms (where each step is uni-, bi-, or rarely trimolecular) rather than as single elementary events.
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