NSCI 1322 Lecture Notes - Lecture 56: Svante Arrhenius, Collision Theory, Reaction Rate Constant
12 Jan 2017
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Document Summary
The arrhenius equation is a formula for the temperature dependence of reaction rates. It is common knowledge that chemical reactions occur more rapidly at higher temperatures. For the same reason, cold-blooded animals such as reptiles and insects tend to be more lethargic on cold days. The reason for this is not hard to understand. Thermal energy relates direction to motion at the molecular level. As the temperature rises, molecules move faster and collide more vigorously, greatly increasing the likelihood of bond cleavages and rearrangements. Whether it is through the collision theory, transition state theory, or just common sense, chemical reactions are typically expected to proceed faster at higher temperatures and slower at lower temperatures. The frequency factor is related to the frequency of collisions with proper orientation. (the frequency factor does have a slight dependence on temperature, as you see from collision theory, but usually this can be ignored. )
