⚡ Chemical Reactions & Kinetics — Intro#

Scope — What chemical reactions are, how fast they occur, and the basic factors that influence reaction rates.

Key concepts#

• Chemical reaction — transformation of reactants into products via bond breaking and forming.
• Reaction rate — change in concentration of reactants or products per unit time.
• Collision theory — reactions occur when particles collide with sufficient energy and proper orientation.

Seed Q&A triads#

• Q: What does reaction rate measure?
  A: How quickly reactants are converted into products, typically expressed as concentration change over time.

• Q: Why do higher temperatures usually increase reaction rates?
  A: Higher temperature increases particle kinetic energy, leading to more frequent and more energetic collisions.

• Q: What role does concentration play in reaction rate?
  A: Higher concentration increases collision frequency, raising the likelihood of successful reactions.

Quick activities#

• Compare reaction rates qualitatively for the same reaction at low vs high temperature and explain the difference using collision theory.