kinetics I Flashcards
“What conditions are necessary for a reaction to occur between particles?(collision theory)
“1) They must collide in the right direction, facing each other the right way. 2) They must collide with at least a certain minimum amount of kinetic (movement) energy.”
“What is the minimum amount of kinetic energy particles need to react called?”
“The activation energy.”
“Why do particles need activation energy to react?”
“Particles need activation energy to break the bonds and start the reaction.”
“What can be done to help reactions with high activation energies occur?”
“Particles can be given extra energy by heating them.”
Why does the Maxwell Boltzmann distribution start at (0, 0)?
Because no molecules have zero energy, so the curve begins at the point where the reactants have no energy.
What type of distribution do you get when plotting a graph of the numbers of molecules in a substance with different kinetic energies?
A Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution
How does increasing the temperature affect the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution curve?
Increasing the temperature shifts the curve to the right, as particles, on average, have more kinetic energy and move faster, increasing the proportion of molecules with at least the activation energy to react.
How does increasing the temperature affect the frequency of molecular collisions?
Increasing the temperature increases the frequency of molecular collisions, as molecules move faster and collide more often.
How does increasing the temperature affect the reaction rate?
Increasing the temperature makes the reaction faster, as the frequency of molecular collisions increases, leading to a higher reaction rate
How does increasing the concentration of reactants affect the frequency of collisions in a solution?
Increasing the concentration of reactants increases the number of particles in a given volume of the solution, leading to more frequent collisions between particles
Why does increasing the concentration of reactants speed up reactions
Increasing the concentration of reactants provides more chances for collisions to occur, leading to a higher frequency of collisions and thus speeding up the reaction
How is increasing pressure similar to increasing the concentration of a solution in terms of speeding up reactions?
Increasing pressure is similar to increasing the concentration of a solution because both result in more particles in a given volume, leading to increased frequency of successful collisions and thus faster reactions.
How do catalysts speed up reactions?
Catalysts lower the activation energy by providing an alternative pathway for bonds to be broken and remade, allowing more particles to have enough energy to react
How is reaction rate defined?
Reaction rate is the change in the amount of reactant or product per unit time, typically measured in units such as mol dm^-3 s^-1 if the reactants are in solution
How can you determine the reaction rate from a graph of reactant or product concentration against time?
The reaction rate is equal to the gradient of the graph, with time on the x-axis
How can you determine the rate of reaction at a particular point in a reaction when the points on a graph form a curve?
You can determine the rate of reaction at a particular point by working out the gradient of a tangent to the curve at that point
What is the initial rate of reaction?
The gradient at time = 0, which represents the rate of reaction at the beginning of the reaction
How can you find the initial rate of a reaction from a concentration-time graph?
You can find the initial rate of a reaction by calculating the gradient of the tangent to the curve at time = 0 on a concentration-time graph
What is the formula to calculate the rate of reaction?
Rate of reaction = Amount of reactant used or amount of product formed / Time taken.
what is a catalyst
A catalyst increases the rate of a reaction by providing an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy, so a greater proportion of collisions result in a reaction. The catalyst is chemically unchanged at the end of the reaction.
What is a notable characteristic of catalysts in reactions?
Catalysts are not consumed in reactions and are remade at the end, allowing a small amount to catalyze a large amount of reactants.
How selective are catalysts in the reactions they catalyze?
Catalysts are typically very selective and often only catalyze a single reaction.
What is a heterogeneous catalyst?
A heterogeneous catalyst is one that is in a different phase from the reactants, meaning it is in a different physical state. For example, in the Haber Process, gases are passed over a solid iron catalyst.
How does increasing the surface area of a heterogeneous catalyst affect the rate of reaction?
ncreasing the surface area of the catalyst increases the number of molecules that can react simultaneously, thus increasing the rate of the reaction.