Collision Theory & Activation EnergyOxford AQA IGCSE Chemistry: Flashcards

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What does collision theory state?

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What does collision theory state?: Reacting particles must collide with each other, and with sufficient energy, for a chemical reaction to occur.
Define activation energy.: The minimum amount of energy that particles must have to react when they collide.
What is a successful collision?: A collision between particles that has enough energy to result in a chemical reaction.
Do all collisions between particles result in a reaction?: No, only collisions with enough energy (at least the activation energy) result in a reaction.
What happens if colliding particles have less energy than the activation energy?: No reaction occurs, regardless of how many times they collide.
Name two things that can increase the rate of successful collisions.: Increasing the frequency of collisions, or increasing the proportion of collisions with enough energy (e.g. by raising temperature).
Why must particles collide for a reaction to happen?: Because bonds can only break and reform when reacting particles come into contact with each other.
Is activation energy the same for every reaction?: No, different reactions have different activation energies.
What two conditions must be met for a reaction to occur, according to collision theory?: The particles must collide, and they must collide with energy greater than or equal to the activation energy.
What term describes how often particles collide?: Frequency of collisions.
Why do some collisions fail to produce a reaction even though particles touch?: Because the particles did not collide with enough energy to overcome the activation energy.
How is activation energy usually represented visually?: As the energy barrier on an energy level diagram between reactants and products.