What numbers can the exponents in a rate law be?

Question

I'm supposed to be figuring out the exponents in a rate law from an experiment, but I suspect that my experimental data is wacky? The numbers vary considerably for one of the chemicals.

Here are the exponents I calculated for one of the chemicals: 0.300, 0.241, and 0.0752, which averages to 0.205. I keep thinking that I have to round a number to a whole number, but it's way too low to be 1. Is it possible that this is a zero order reactant?

Answer 1

Yes!!!! it is possible to have a 'zero order' reaction.

If an exponent is 'zero' , then anything to exponential of zero equals 1.
[ substance]^0 = 1
This means that whatever the concentration of a substance, it has no effect on the rate of reaction, because it is equal to '1'.
It may be acting as a catalyst. During a reaction some catalysts oxidise/reduce hence their concentration is different, but ultimately the concentration is the same at the end as at the beginning.