Kinetics and Equilibria Flashcards
What is activation energy?
The minimum energy required for a reaction to occur
What is the collision theory?
A reaction will only take place if two particles collide in the right direction and with at least a minimum amount of kinetic energy.
State the effect on the rate of reaction by a change in temperature.
Increase in temp - molecules will have more kinetic energy, therefore a greater proportion will have the minimum kinetic energy so more particles can react.
Decrease in temp - molecules have less kinetic energy so a smaller proportion have minimum kinetic energy so less particles can react.
State the effect of a change in concentration on the rate of reaction
Increase in concentration - particles will be closer together and so will collide more frequently
Decrease in concentration - particles will not be as close and so collide less frequently
What is a catalyst
A catalyst increases the rate of reaction by providing an alternative pathway with a lower activation energy. This catalyst is chemically unchanged at the end of the reaction.
What is dynamic equilibrium
The forward and backward reaction are occurring at the same constant rate, the concentrations of reactants and products are constant. This only occurs in closed systems.
