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Physical Chemistry in Industrial Processes

Collision theory, rates and the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution

  • 3 things to know
  • AS 3

Overview

Rate and activation energy, reaction profiles, successful collisions, the effects of concentration, pressure and temperature, the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution, and following rates by mass and titration.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

How can the rate of reaction between marble chips and hydrochloric acid be followed with a balance?

Key term

Define rate of reaction and give its usual unit.

Key term

Define activation energy.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Define rate of reaction and give its usual unit.

    Model answer

    Rate of reaction is the change in concentration of a reactant or product per unit time. The usual unit is mol dm⁻³ s⁻¹.

  2. 2

    Define activation energy.

    Model answer

    Activation energy is the minimum energy colliding particles need for a reaction to occur. Particles that collide with less energy simply bounce apart.

  3. 3

    Describe the reaction profile for an exothermic reaction.

    Model answer

    The products lie at a lower energy than the reactants, with a peak between them. The activation energy is the rise from reactants to the peak, and ΔH is the overall drop.

  4. 4

    How does the reaction profile of an endothermic reaction differ from an exothermic one?

    Model answer

    The products lie at a higher energy than the reactants, so ΔH is positive. The activation energy is still measured from the reactants to the peak.

  5. 5

    State the two conditions a collision must meet to be successful.

    Model answer

    The particles must collide with energy equal to or greater than the activation energy. The particles must also collide with the correct orientation.

  6. 6

    Explain why increasing the concentration of a solution increases the rate of reaction.

    Model answer

    A higher concentration puts more particles in the same volume. Collisions become more frequent, so there are more successful collisions per second.

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CA negative answer shows an exothermic reaction.

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