Effective Collision
Definition
A collision between reactant molecules that leads to the formation of products. For this to occur, molecules must collide with sufficient energy and correct orientation.
Analogy
Think about trying to unlock your front door in the dark. You need two things for success - you need enough force (energy) to insert key into lock and you also need correct orientation (the key needs to be right-side up). Similarly, for an effective collision, molecules need both sufficient energy and correct orientation.
Related terms
Activation Energy: The minimum amount of energy required for a chemical reaction to occur.
Reaction Rate: The speed at which reactants turn into products in a chemical reaction.
Chemical Kinetics: The study of rates at which reactions occur and factors affecting them.
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