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The Effect of Temperature On Reaction Rate

The rate of a reaction increases with rising temperature for three reasons: 1) Higher temperatures provide more energy, increasing the proportion of molecules with enough energy to overcome the activation energy barrier. 2) The exponential term in the Arrhenius equation, which depends inversely on temperature, becomes larger at higher temperatures, increasing the rate constant. 3) An experiment found the activation energy of the reaction between NO2 and CO to be 102 kJ/mol by measuring the rate constants at two temperatures and applying the Arrhenius equation.

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83 views

The Effect of Temperature On Reaction Rate

The rate of a reaction increases with rising temperature for three reasons: 1) Higher temperatures provide more energy, increasing the proportion of molecules with enough energy to overcome the activation energy barrier. 2) The exponential term in the Arrhenius equation, which depends inversely on temperature, becomes larger at higher temperatures, increasing the rate constant. 3) An experiment found the activation energy of the reaction between NO2 and CO to be 102 kJ/mol by measuring the rate constants at two temperatures and applying the Arrhenius equation.

Uploaded by

Benjamin
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THE EFFECT OF

TEMPERATURE ON REACTION
RATE
• The rate of reaction is generally highly sensitive to temperature
• Milk becomes sour much more quickly if stored at room temperature
rather than in a refrigerator
• butter goes rancid more quickly in the summer than in the winter
• At room temperature, a 10oC rise in temperature increases the rate of
a biological reaction by two or three time.
𝐸𝑎
−
Significance of the exponential factor, 𝑒 𝑅𝑇

• RT is the mean kinetic energy


𝐸𝑎
−𝑅𝑇
•𝑒 is the ratio of the activation energy to the mean kinetic energy
• The larger the ratio, the smaller the value of k
• This implies that high temperature and low activation energy favor
larger rate constants, and thus speed up the reaction.
𝐸
𝑎
−𝑅𝑇
• 𝑘 = 𝐴𝑒
• Take the natural log (ln) of both sides
𝐸𝑎
• 𝑙𝑛𝑘 = 𝑙𝑛𝐴 − 2
𝑅𝑇
• The plot of lnk against1/T (Arrhenius plot) gives a straight line
• If an experiment is carried out at two temperatures, T1 and T2, the
rate constants would be k1 and k2.
𝐸𝑎
• 𝑙𝑛𝑘1 = 𝑙𝑛𝐴 − 3
𝑅𝑇1
𝐸𝑎
• 𝑙𝑛𝑘2 = 𝑙𝑛𝐴 − 4
𝑅𝑇2
𝐸𝑎 𝐸𝑎
• 𝑙𝑛𝑘2 -𝑙𝑛𝑘1 = 𝑙𝑛𝐴 − - 𝑙𝑛𝐴 −
𝑅𝑇2 𝑅𝑇1
𝐸𝑎 1 1
• = − 5a
𝑅 𝑇1 𝑇2
𝑘2 𝐸𝑎 𝑇2 −𝑇1
• 𝑙𝑛 = 5b
𝑘1 𝑅 𝑇1 𝑇2
Example
• Consider the reaction between nitrogen dioxide and carbon
monoxide
• NO2(g) + CO(g) NO(g) + CO2(g)
• The rate constant at 701 K is measured at 2.57 M-1s-1 and that at 895
K is measured at 567 M-1s-1. Find the activation energy for the
reaction in kJ/mol.
• Solution
• T1 = 701 K, k1 = 2.57 M-1s-1
• T2 = 895 K, k2 = 567 M-1s-1
𝑘2 𝐸𝑎 𝑇2 −𝑇1
• 𝑙𝑛 =
𝑘1 𝑅 𝑇1 𝑇2
567 𝐸𝑎 895−701
• 𝑙𝑛 =
2.57 8.314 701𝑥895
𝐸𝑎 194
• 5.4 = x
8.314 1 522 395
• Ea = 1.45x105 J/mol
• = 1.45 x102 kJ/mol
The activation energy
• The activation energy is an energy barrier that must be surmounted in
order for the reactant to be transformed into products.

Fig 1. The activation energy barrier


Source: Tro N J. (2017). Chemistry: A molecular Approach 4TH Edition. Pearson
Reference
• 1. Tro N J. (2017). Chemistry: A molecular Approach 4TH Edition.
Pearson Education Limited

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