THE EFFECT OF

TEMPERATURE ON REACTION
RATE
• The rate of reaction is generally highly sensitive to temperature
• Milk becomes sour much more quickly if stored at room temperature
rather than in a refrigerator
• butter goes rancid more quickly in the summer than in the winter
• At room temperature, a 10oC rise in temperature increases the rate of
a biological reaction by two or three time.
 𝐸𝑎
−
Significance of the exponential factor, 𝑒 𝑅𝑇

• RT is the mean kinetic energy

𝐸𝑎
−𝑅𝑇
•𝑒 is the ratio of the activation energy to the mean kinetic energy
• The larger the ratio, the smaller the value of k
• This implies that high temperature and low activation energy favor
larger rate constants, and thus speed up the reaction.
 𝐸
𝑎
−𝑅𝑇
• 𝑘 = 𝐴𝑒
• Take the natural log (ln) of both sides
𝐸𝑎
• 𝑙𝑛𝑘 = 𝑙𝑛𝐴 − 2
𝑅𝑇
• The plot of lnk against1/T (Arrhenius plot) gives a straight line
• If an experiment is carried out at two temperatures, T1 and T2, the
rate constants would be k1 and k2.
𝐸𝑎
• 𝑙𝑛𝑘1 = 𝑙𝑛𝐴 − 3
𝑅𝑇1
𝐸𝑎
• 𝑙𝑛𝑘2 = 𝑙𝑛𝐴 − 4
𝑅𝑇2
𝐸𝑎 𝐸𝑎
• 𝑙𝑛𝑘2 -𝑙𝑛𝑘1 = 𝑙𝑛𝐴 − - 𝑙𝑛𝐴 −
𝑅𝑇2 𝑅𝑇1
𝐸𝑎 1 1
• = − 5a
𝑅 𝑇1 𝑇2
𝑘2 𝐸𝑎 𝑇2 −𝑇1
• 𝑙𝑛 = 5b
𝑘1 𝑅 𝑇1 𝑇2
Example
• Consider the reaction between nitrogen dioxide and carbon
monoxide
• NO2(g) + CO(g) NO(g) + CO2(g)
• The rate constant at 701 K is measured at 2.57 M-1s-1 and that at 895
K is measured at 567 M-1s-1. Find the activation energy for the
reaction in kJ/mol.
• Solution
• T1 = 701 K, k1 = 2.57 M-1s-1
• T2 = 895 K, k2 = 567 M-1s-1
 𝑘2 𝐸𝑎 𝑇2 −𝑇1
• 𝑙𝑛 =
𝑘1 𝑅 𝑇1 𝑇2
567 𝐸𝑎 895−701
• 𝑙𝑛 =
2.57 8.314 701𝑥895
𝐸𝑎 194
• 5.4 = x
8.314 1 522 395
• Ea = 1.45x105 J/mol
• = 1.45 x102 kJ/mol
The activation energy
• The activation energy is an energy barrier that must be surmounted in
order for the reactant to be transformed into products.

Fig 1. The activation energy barrier

Source: Tro N J. (2017). Chemistry: A molecular Approach 4TH Edition. Pearson
Reference
• 1. Tro N J. (2017). Chemistry: A molecular Approach 4TH Edition.
Pearson Education Limited