What is Activation Energy?
All matter is made up of molecules. Many molecules can peacefully co-exist almost indefinitely. Some molecules, however, cause some kind of reaction when they come into contact with certain molecules. For this reaction to occur, the molecules must be brought extremely close together and in a particular orientation. Activation energy is also involved in many reactions, because typically, reactions also involve the breaking of pre-existing bonds. A substantial amount of energy is often required for a chemical reaction to take place, due to the strength of the bonds that need to be broken. The amount of activation energy required to start a reaction is often called the energy barrier. This energy is rarely provided by the molecules colliding, so other factors are necessary to help the molecules clear the energy barrier and facilitate the chemical reaction. Heat, a physical factor, and adding an appropriate enzyme, a chemical factor, are two examples of factors that activate molecules. Onc
Related Questions
- I have been looking at the reaction of metals with acid and have experimentally determined the activation energy of the reaction between magnesium and hydrochloric acid, using the Arrhenius equation. Why did we used 1/time to produce 30 cm3 of gas as the ate ?
- What mechanism are used by enzymes to lower activation energy and speed up a reaction?
- How is the activation energy for enzyme catalyzed reactions decreased?
