What is the significance of activation energy of reaction
Answers
All molecules possess a certain minimum amount of energy. The energy can be in the form of kinetic energy or potential energy. When molecules collide, the kinetic energy of the molecules can be used to stretch, bend, and ultimately break bonds, leading to chemical reactions. If molecules move too slowly with little kinetic energy, or collide with improper orientation, they do not react and simply bounce off each other. However, if the molecules are moving fast enough with a proper collision orientation, such that the kinetic energy upon collision is greater than the minimum energy barrier, then a reaction occurs. The minimum energy requirement that must be met for a chemical reaction to occur is called the activation energy, Ea.
The activation energy is related to the rate constant for the reaction according to the Arrhenius' equation.