Kinetics Flashcards
What must particles do in order to react?
Collide with sufficient energy (activation energy) and the correct orientation
Do most collisions result in a reaction?
No
What is activation energy?
The minimum energy that particles must collide with for a reaction to occur
What does the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution state?
Not all molecules in a substance have the same amount of energy
The energies are distributed in a pattern called the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution
What effect does changing reaction conditions have on the Maxwell-Boltzmann graph?
It will change the shape of the curve so that the number of particles with energy greater than the activation energy is different
What does the total area under the curve on a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution graph represent?
The total number of molecules in the sample
Therefore must remain constant
What effect will increasing the temperature have on the rate of the reaction?
Increasing the reaction temperature will increase the rate of reaction as more collisions of greater energy occur in a given time
What effect will increasing temperature have on the Maxwell-Boltzmann graph?
It shifts to the right so that a greater proportion of molecules have energy greater or equal to the activation energy
What effect does concentration have on the rate of reaction?
Increasing concentration increases rate of reaction as theyre packed closer together and therefore collisions become more likely
What effect does pressure have on the rate of reaction?
Increasing pressure increases rate as the molecules are packed closer together in a smaller volume
What effect does increasing pressure and concentration have on the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution graph?
Its shifted to the right
What effect does catalysts have on the rate of reaction?
It increases the rate of reaction without being used up in the reaction
How do catalysts work in a reaction?
It works by providing an alternative path that requires a lower activation energy for the reaction to occur
What effect does a catalyst have on the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution graph?
The curve is a unchanged in shape but the position of the activation energy is shifted to the left so that a greater proportion of molecules have sufficient energy to react
