When using the Steady State Approximation (SSA) to derive the rate law of a complex multi-step react — Chemical Kinetics Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

The core assumption of the SSA is that a wildly unstable intermediate is consumed almost instantly upon generation. Consequently, its concentration remains practically negligible and perfectly constant, allowing the differential to be algebraically set to $\frac{d[I]}{dt} \approx 0$.