Define Activation Energy Activation energy is the minimum energy particles required to
react when they collide
What does the Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution show? The Maxwell-Boltzmann
distribution shows the spread of energies that a molecule of a gas/liquid have at a particular
temperature
What does the peak show on the Maxwell Boltzmann distribution? The peak of the Maxwell
Boltzmann shows the MOST PROBABLE energy
What does the area under the curve represent? The area under the curve represents the
total number of particles present
What does the line NEXT to the PEAK of the curve represent? The line NEXT TO the
peak of the curve represents the Mean Energy of the particles
Why does the Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution go through the origin? The maxwell
Boltzmann Distribution goes through the origin as there are no molecules with zero energy
Why can the energy distribution never reach the X-Axis? The curve can never reach the X-
Axis, as there is no maximum energy for molecules
How can a reaction go to completion if few particles have energy greater than Ea? particles
can GAIN energy by collisions
What happens to the Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution when the temperature is raised?
When the temp is raised, the distribution shifts to the right and lower down, indicating
more molecules have higher energies. The curve under the graph should remain constant
Define Rate of Reaction Rate of reaction is the change in concentration of a substance in
unit time
Increasing Concentration/Pressure effect on Rate of Reaction Increasing the
concentration/Pressure means there are more particles per unit volume, so the particles
collide with a greater frequency, thus there is a higher frequency of effective collisions
Effect of increasing surface area on the rate of reaction Increased surface area will cause
successful collisions to occur more frequently between reactant particles, this increase the
rate of reaction.
Define Catalyst Increase reaction rate without being used up
How do Catalysts increase the rate? Catalysts provide an alternate route with a lower Ea,
meaning more particles have E>Ea and so the frequency of successful collisions increases.
react when they collide
What does the Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution show? The Maxwell-Boltzmann
distribution shows the spread of energies that a molecule of a gas/liquid have at a particular
temperature
What does the peak show on the Maxwell Boltzmann distribution? The peak of the Maxwell
Boltzmann shows the MOST PROBABLE energy
What does the area under the curve represent? The area under the curve represents the
total number of particles present
What does the line NEXT to the PEAK of the curve represent? The line NEXT TO the
peak of the curve represents the Mean Energy of the particles
Why does the Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution go through the origin? The maxwell
Boltzmann Distribution goes through the origin as there are no molecules with zero energy
Why can the energy distribution never reach the X-Axis? The curve can never reach the X-
Axis, as there is no maximum energy for molecules
How can a reaction go to completion if few particles have energy greater than Ea? particles
can GAIN energy by collisions
What happens to the Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution when the temperature is raised?
When the temp is raised, the distribution shifts to the right and lower down, indicating
more molecules have higher energies. The curve under the graph should remain constant
Define Rate of Reaction Rate of reaction is the change in concentration of a substance in
unit time
Increasing Concentration/Pressure effect on Rate of Reaction Increasing the
concentration/Pressure means there are more particles per unit volume, so the particles
collide with a greater frequency, thus there is a higher frequency of effective collisions
Effect of increasing surface area on the rate of reaction Increased surface area will cause
successful collisions to occur more frequently between reactant particles, this increase the
rate of reaction.
Define Catalyst Increase reaction rate without being used up
How do Catalysts increase the rate? Catalysts provide an alternate route with a lower Ea,
meaning more particles have E>Ea and so the frequency of successful collisions increases.
