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18: Kinetics- Temperature Dependence and Relaxation Methods

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    425072
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    • 18.1: Rate Constants Are Usually Strongly Temperature Dependent
      In general, increases in temperature increase the rates of chemical reactions. It is easy to see why, since most chemical reactions depend on molecular collisions. And as we discussed in Chapter 2, the frequency with which molecules collide increases with increased temperature. But also, the kinetic energy of the molecules increases, which should increase the probability that a collision event will lead to a reaction. An empirical model was proposed by Arrhenius to account for this phenomenon.
    • 18.2: The Rate Constants of a Reversible Reaction Can Be Determined Using Relaxation Techniques
      Many chemical reactions are complete in less than a few seconds, which makes the rate of reaction difficult to determine. In these cases, the relaxation methods can be used to determine the rate of the reaction.
    • 18.3: Transition-State Theory Can Be Used to Estimate Reaction Rate Constants
      Transition state theory was proposed in 1935 by Henry Erying, and further developed by Merrideth G. Evans and Michael Polanyi (Laidler & King, 1983), as another means of accounting for chemical reaction rates. It is based on the idea that a molecular collision that leads to reaction must pass through an intermediate state known as the transition state.


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