Phosphorus penta-oxide reacts with phosphorus oxide to form phosphorus di-oxide. This reaction is described by the following equation:

P2O5 + PO

3 PO2

What is the experimental determined rate law which is consistent with the following mechanism that proposed for this reaction:

step 1:

P2O5 + PO

P2O4 + PO2

slow

step 2:

P2O4

2 PO2

fast

What is the rate law experimentally determined for this reaction which is consistent with this mechanism?

Rate = k .	[P2O5]		[PO]		[P2O4]		[PO2]