Why doesn't inert gas affect reaction rate?

[Notwen7]

Just as the title says, I'm having difficulty understanding why the concentration of inert gas is not included in the reaction rate. I would think adding a higher concentration of N2 (or some other inert gas) would increase the reaction rate. Perhaps, I'm confusing reaction rate with space time?

 

[pukb]

This is possibly because inert gases have stable octate electronic structure and hence cannot be sites(heterogenous) for nucleation which in other terms is reaction.

 

[Dr_Morbius]

Because it's inert. By the very definition of inert it doesn't react. The only thing an inert gas can do is dilute the reactants and that might affect reaction rates.

 

[Notwen7]

Makes sense. Thank you pukb and Dr Morbius!