Chemistry Introduction

It has been recognised for a long time that the rate of reaction is markedly affected by temperature. In fact, it is generally found that:

 
  • increasing the reaction temperature by 10K approximately doubles the rate of reaction

 

Two theories - the collision theory and the transition state theory have been developed to explain this temperature effect.

In this tutorial you will first explore the effect of temperature on the rate of reaction using a computer model before learning about the collision and transition state theories that attempt to explain the observed results.

 
Computer Model

The computer models the decomposition of dinitrogen pentoxide, N2O5 within a range of temperatures and concentrations.

2N2O5(g) --> 4NO2(g) + O2(g)

You can use the computer model below to investigate the effect of temperature on the initial rate of reaction. You will find in this particular case, an increase of 10K slighlty more than doubles the initial rate of reaction.

Reaction Model: Decomposition of dinitrogen pentoxide.

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You should have found a very marked increase in the rate of reaction as the temperature increases.