The thermal decomposition of diethyl ether results in several products the most important of them being acetaldehyde and ethane. The following mechanism has been suggested: Initiation: (C2H5)2Ok1CH3+CH2OC2H5 Propagation: CH3+(C2H5)2Ok2C2H6+CH2OC2H5 CH2OC2H5k3CH3+CH3CHO Termination: CH3+CH2OC2H5k4 stable products a. Under what assumptions the stoichiometry of the overall reaction is justified? b. The overall reaction has been observed to be first order in ether concentration. Does this mechanism support the observation