Assorted References. 1  major reference (in celestial mechanics: Keplerâs laws of planetary motion) 2  astronomy (in physical science: Astronomy) (in astronomy: Kepler) 3  celestial mechanics (in mechanics: History) 4  discovery and formulation (in Johannes Kepler (German astronomer)) 5  geometry (in geometry: Pythagorean numbers and Platonic solids)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In chemical kinetics, the overall rate of a reaction is often approximately determined by the slowest step, known as the rate determining step (RDS) or rate-limiting step.
In the more general answer to the formal question, if you know the the mechanism of the reaction and the rate determining step, then you try to find something that will accelerate the rate determining step. For example, if the rate determining step is to add a proton to something, then acid will be your catalyst.