5: Kinetics Flashcards
What is collision theory?
Particles must collide when facing in the correct way with activation energy in order for a reaction to happen successfully.
What is activation energy?
The minimum energy required for bonds to be broken in a molecule and for particles to react.
What is on the x axis on a Maxwell Boltzmann curve?
Kinetic energy
What is on the Y axis on a Maxwell Boltzmann curve?
Number of molecules
Why does the Maxwell Boltzmann curve start at zero?
Zero molecules have zero energy.
What does the area under the Maxwell Boltzmann curve mean?
Total number of molecules.
What does the highest peak on a Maxwell Boltzmann curve mean?
The most likely energy of any molecule.
Where is the mean energy of a molecule found on a Maxwell Boltzmann curve?
Usually slightly right of the peak of the curve.
What does the area after the activation energy line represent?
The number of particles with activation energy.
How does an increase in temperature affect the height, shape and area under a Maxwell Boltzmann curve?
How does this effect activation energy?
The height of the curve decreases and the curve shifts to the right. This is because more particles will have activation energy.
Total area under the graph stays the same because there is the same number of particles.
How does an increase in concentration affect the height, shape and area under a Maxwell Boltzmann curve?
How does this affect activation energy of particles?
Height of the curve increases. Area under the curve increases because there are more particles.
More particles have activation energy so particles are more likely to react and collide successfully.
How do catalysts work?
Speed up chemical reactions by providing an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy.
How do catalysts affect Maxwell Boltzmann curves?
No effect
