Activation Energy
Definition
Activation Energy is defined as the minimum amount of energy required to initiate or start up a chemical reaction.
Analogy
Consider starting your car on a cold winter morning. Your car won't just start without some effort - you need to turn the key in the ignition (activation energy) before the engine starts running (chemical reaction begins).
Related terms
Catalyst: A substance that lowers activation energy and speeds up a chemical reaction, but is not consumed in the process.
Exothermic Reaction: A reaction that releases energy, often in the form of heat. It requires less activation energy.
Endothermic Reaction: A reaction that absorbs energy from the surroundings. It usually requires more activation energy.
"Activation Energy" appears in:
Subjects (1)
Study guides (7)
AP Chemistry - 5.5 Collision Model
AP Chemistry - 5.6 Reaction Energy Profile
AP Chemistry - 5.7 Introduction to Reaction Mechanisms
AP Chemistry - 5.11 Catalysis
AP Chemistry - 6.2 Energy Diagrams of Reactions
AP Chemistry - 6.3 Kinetic Energy, Heat Transfer, and Thermal Equilibrium
AP Chemistry - 9.4 Thermodynamic and Kinetic Control
Additional resources (1)
Practice Questions (8)
Where is the activation energy located in an energy diagram?
Which of the following statements is true about the activation energy of a reaction pathway?
Which of the following statements is true about the activation energy of a reaction under enthalpy-driven versus entropy-driven conditions?
A catalyst can do which of the following with activation energy?
A lower activation energy can help increase the number of effective collisions. Which of the following contributes to that?
When more particles have a greater energy than it's activation energy, what happens to the reaction rate?
Which of the following is true about a change in activation energy and temperature?
Activation energy can be described as which of the following?
Resources
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