Question

Why do most chemical reaction rates increases rapidly as the temperature rises?

• A. The fraction of the molecules with kinetic energy greater than the activation energy increases rapidly with temperature
• B. The average kinetic energy increases as temperature rises
• C. The activation energy decreases as the temperature rises
• D. More collision take place between particles so that the reaction can occur

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

With rise in temperature, fraction of molecules possessing kinetic energy greater than the activation energy increases. Only such molecules are able to cause effective collisions and result in the formation of product. Thus, as the fraction of such molecules increases, rate of the reaction increases.