Question

Define the following terms:
(a) Order of Reaction:
(b) Activation Energy:

Hint:

Order of reaction gives insight into how concentration affects the rate, while activation energy defines the energy threshold for a reaction to occur.
Activation energy is the energy required to form the activated complex. Catalysts lower this energy, making reactions proceed faster.

Answer 1

(a) Order of Reaction: The order of a reaction refers to the sum of the exponents of the concentration terms in the rate law expression. It is determined experimentally and tells us how the rate of reaction depends on the concentration of reactants. For example, for a reaction with rate law \( \text{rate} = k[A]^m[B]^n \), the order is \( m + n \).

(b) Activation Energy: The energy required to form activated complex / The minimum amount of extra energy required by reacting molecules to get converted into a product. This refers to the activation energy, which is the minimum amount of energy that reacting molecules must possess to form an activated complex. The energy required is needed for molecules to reach the transition state and proceed to form the products.