Kinetics Flashcards
State what is meant by the term activation energy of a reaction
The minimum energy required for a reaction to occur.
State in general terms how a catalyst increases the rate of a chemical reaction
Provides an alternative reaction pathway with a lower Ea
What does the area under the Maxwell-Boltzmann curve represent?
The total number of particles
Why does the Boltzmann curve start at the origin?
Because no particles can have zero energy
The rate of a chemical reaction may be increased by an increase in reactant concentration, by an increase in temperature and by the addition of a catalyst.
State which, if any, of these changes involves a different activation energy. Explain your answer.
The addition of a catalyst provides an alternative pathway with a lower Ea
State one way in which the collision frequency between particles in a gas can be increased without changing the temperature
Increasing pressure/ concentration
In order for two particles to react they must collide. Explain why most collisions do not result in a reaction
Small number of particles have E≥Ea
