Consider the reaction diagram shown below.

a. Determine which step in the forward direction has the highest activation energy.
b. Is the second intermediate more likely to return to the first intermediate or to proceed to produce the product?
c. What step is the rate-determining step? 

The reaction of 

follows the reaction coordinate diagram shown below.

a. Count the number of intermediate and transition states present.
b. Arrange the reaction species in order of increasing stability.
c. Which is more stable, the transition state between X and Y, or the transition state between Y and Z?
d. Which step has a higher rate constant in the forward direction? In the reverse direction?

Draw the reaction coordinate diagram and label the diagram for a reaction that is slightly endothermic and a three-step reaction in which the second step is the rate-determining step.

An alkyl halide is produced from the alkene shown below.

Draw a reaction coordinate diagram for the reaction, taking into account that the product is more stable than the reactant.

The hydride ion affinity (HIA) is a measure of carbocation stability. The difference in HIA for a secondary allylic carbocation and a tertiary allylic carbocation is 12 kcal/mol. Assuming that this is also the difference in the energies of the transition state for the carbocation formations at 298 K, how much faster is the formation of the tertiary allylic carbocation compared to that of the secondary allylic carbocation?

Draw the reaction coordinate diagram and label the diagram for a four-step slightly endothermic reaction where the third step is rate-determining.

Determine which of the following reaction coordinate diagrams represents (i) a reaction with a thermodynamically and kinetically stable product and (ii) a reaction with a thermodynamically and kinetically unstable product.