What are the purposes and meanings of constants in scientific equations?

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In summary, constants are quantities or values that remain the same in a specific context or situation. In science, they are crucial for providing a stable reference point for experiments and predictions, and for controlling and isolating variables to understand cause and effect relationships. Mathematical constants, such as pi and e, are fundamental values that help describe and model the natural world, while physical constants are measured and observed in the natural world. Constants play a crucial role in the development of scientific theories and laws by providing a stable foundation for predictions and testing hypotheses. While most constants are considered to be unchanging and universal, there may be slight variations or uncertainties in some due to limitations in measurement techniques, and scientists continue to strive for the most accurate values through research and experimentation
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sodium.dioxid
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What exactly are constants? Are they just used to make the equation work or is there something more meaningful than this? Right now I am studying rate of reactions and they go something like this:

rate = k [A]^x ^y

It seems like k is only there to make the equation work. It would seem like k is the responsiveness of rate to concentration. But this becomes meaningless when comparing two reaction of different orders; they take on different units for different orders.
 
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