Kinetics-NOTES

• What is required for a chemical reaction to occur successfully according to collision theory?

  Collisions must have energy greater than or equal to the activation energy and correct particle orientation.
• How do reaction conditions impact chemical reactions?

  They can be altered to provide particles with more energy, increasing the likelihood of successful collisions.
• What is the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution?

  • A pattern that describes the distribution of energies among molecules in a substance.
  • Not all molecules have the same amount of energy.

  
• What happens to the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution when reaction conditions are changed?

  The shape of the curve alters, affecting the number of particles with energy greater than the activation energy.

  
• What does the total area under the Maxwell-Boltzmann curve represent?

  The total number of molecules in the sample.

  
• What occurs when a substance is heated in terms of energy transfer?

  Thermal energy is transferred to the substance and converted to kinetic energy.
• How does increased molecular movement affect reaction rates?

  It leads to more frequent collisions and greater energy in those collisions.

  
• What is the effect of increasing temperature on the rate of reaction?

  It increases the rate of reaction as more collisions with greater energy occur.

  
• How does the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution change with increased temperature?

  It shifts to the right, increasing the proportion of molecules with energy greater than or equal to the activation energy.

  
• What happens to the concentration of a sample when it is increased?

  More molecules occur in the same volume, packing them closer together.
• How does increased concentration affect the rate of reaction?

  It increases the likelihood of collisions occurring with energy greater than the activation energy.
• What is the effect of increasing pressure on molecules in a reaction?

  Molecules are packed closer together into a smaller volume.
• How does increasing pressure affect the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution?

  It shifts to the right, indicating more molecules have energy greater than the activation energy.

  
• What is a catalyst?

  A substance that increases the rate of reaction without being used up.
• How does a catalyst work in a chemical reaction?

  It provides an alternative reaction path that requires lower activation energy.
• What happens to the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution curve when a catalyst is used?

  The shape remains unchanged, but the position of the activation energy shifts to the left.

  
• What is the effect of a catalyst on the proportion of molecules with sufficient energy to react?

  A greater proportion of molecules have sufficient energy to react due to the lower activation energy.