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Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis

Molecularity

The number of reacting species that collide simultaneously in a single elementary step.

Unit Dimensionless

In depth

Unlike order, molecularity is a theoretical property of a proposed elementary step and must be a small positive integer — one, two or rarely three. It applies only to elementary reactions; an overall reaction has an order but no molecularity, since it is a sum of steps.

Examples in the real world

The unimolecular decomposition of N₂O₅ and the bimolecular collision of two NO₂ molecules.