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Why does raising the temperature generally increase the rates of chemical reactions? - Leaving Cert Chemistry - Question g - 2012
Question g
Why does raising the temperature generally increase the rates of chemical reactions?
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Why does raising the temperature generally increase the rates of chemical reactions? - Leaving Cert Chemistry - Question g - 2012
Step 1
More Collisions
Answer
Raising the temperature of a system increases the kinetic energy of the particles involved. As a result, the particles move more rapidly, leading to a higher frequency of collisions. This increase in the number of collisions means that more particles are present to interact with one another.
Step 2
Reaching Activation Energy
Answer
With more collisions occurring, a greater number of these collisions will have sufficient energy to overcome the activation energy barrier. This increased energy allows more reactant molecules to reach the necessary transition state required for the reaction to take place.
Step 3
Effective Collisions
Answer
Furthermore, the energy of the collisions also plays a crucial role in determining their effectiveness. Increasing temperature not only raises the overall number of collisions but also increases the energy of each collision. As a result, a higher proportion of collisions become effective in producing a reaction, thus accelerating the reaction rate.