Question

question 27
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under which scenario will a chemical reaction likely occur at the fastest rate?
lowering of the activation energy by two - fold
increasing of the activation energy by four - fold
lowering of the activation energy by four - fold
increasing of the activation energy by two - fold

Explanation:

Activation energy is the minimum energy required for a chemical reaction to occur. A lower activation energy means more reactant molecules have sufficient energy to overcome the energy barrier and react. According to the Arrhenius equation \(k = A e^{-\frac{E_a}{RT}}\) (where \(k\) is the rate constant, \(A\) is the pre - exponential factor, \(E_a\) is the activation energy, \(R\) is the gas constant, and \(T\) is the temperature), when \(E_a\) decreases, the value of \(e^{-\frac{E_a}{RT}}\) increases, and so does the rate constant \(k\). Lowering the activation energy by a larger factor (four - fold compared to two - fold) will have a more significant effect on increasing the rate of the reaction. Increasing the activation energy will decrease the rate of the reaction.

Answer:

Lowering of the activation energy by four - fold.