Step 1: Difference between Molecularity and Order of Reaction.
1. Molecularity of reaction refers to the number of reacting species (atoms, molecules, or ions) involved in a single step of a reaction. It is always a whole number and can only be determined from the reaction mechanism.
Order of reaction, on the other hand, refers to the power to which the concentration of a reactant is raised in the rate law equation. It is an empirical value that may not necessarily be a whole number.
2. Molecularity is defined for elementary reactions, i.e., a single-step reaction, while Order of reaction is determined experimentally and can apply to both elementary and complex reactions.
Step 2: Conclusion.
Thus, molecularity is associated with the reaction mechanism, and order is determined from experimental data.