Question & Answer: Identify the intermediate in the following mechanism: Step 1: NO2 + NO2 →…..

intermediates are species that are produced in one step and are used up in the following steps

Intermediate do not appear in overall reaction

Overall reaction can be obtained by adding both reactions

Overall reaction is:

2 NO2 + CO —> NO + NO2 + CO2

which becomes

NO2 + CO —> NO + CO2

we can see that NO3 is produced in 1st step and used up in 2nd step

It is neither part of reactant nor product in Overall reaction

So,

NO3 is intermediate