At elevated temperature NO2 reacts with CO producing CO2 & NO: CO(g) + NO2 (g) → CO2 (g) + NO(g). There are two proposed mechanisms for this reaction. In one possible mechanism, products form directly from a bimolecular collision that directly transfers an oxygen atom from NO2 to CO. In another possible mechanism, two nitrogen dioxide molecules collide in a rate-determining step to form NO and NO3. A second, much faster step has the nitrogen trioxide molecule collide with a carbon monoxide to form nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide. What is the rate law for each mechanism?
Design a simple experiment to distinguish easily between these two proposed mechanisms.