Unit 8: Reaction Rates

Bond Energy
• Bond energy = measures how much energy it takes to break a
chemical bond
• The stronger the bond, the higher the bond energy and vice versa
• Double bonds are stronger then single bonds, triple are stronger then double
• A higher overall bond energy, the more stable a compound is
• Rxs occur in order to make more stable molecules
• ex. HO is always reacting into water to become more stable
• Total energy = (bond energy of reactants) – (bond energy of
products)
Bond Energy

•When bonds form, energy is released

•Bond breaking = endothermic, energy
absorbed
•Bonds formed = exothermic, energy
released
Try Bond Energy Problems/Look at Bond Energy Diagrams
Reactions and Rates
• Reactants must collide to react
• If they collide and don’t have enough energy, they bounce
apart and nothing happens
• Activation energy = the minimum amount of energy
the reactants must have in order to start
• Reaction rate = the rate of disappearance of a
reactant of appearance of a product
Factors that Affect Rx Rate
1. Temperature – as temp increases, rate increases
• As temp increases = faster particles = more collisions
• More particles with activation energy (enough to make products)

2. Concentration – as conc. increases, rate increases

• higher conc. = more collisions

3. Pressure – as pressure increases, rate increases

• Only for gases, higher pressure = more collisions (gas laws)

4. Surface Area – as s.a. increases, rate increases

• More s.a. exposed = more collisions, small pieces = more sides exposed (higher s.a.)

5. Nature of the Reactant – their energies and bond arrangements

6. Catalyst – lowers the activate energy, enzyme = bio. catalyst
Reaction Rates
• Speed of chem. rx can vary from extremely fast to very slow
• Rate = measure of how much something changes in a specific time
period
• rate in chem expressed by change in amount of reactant or product per unit
time
• Over time, the amount of reactant decreases and amount of product
increases
Reaction Rates
• Collision theory = atoms, ions, and molecules can react to form products
when they collide if the particles have enough kinetic energy
• If not enough kinetic energy, the particles bounce apart unchanged
• If enough energy, the bonds holding that molecule together can break, forming
different products
• Activation Energy = barrier that reactants must cross to become products
• Activated complex = unstable arrangement of atoms that form for a
moment at the peak of the activation energy barrier
• Also called transition state
• Also explains why some rxs occur very slowly and others fast (not enough energy)
Reaction Rate Diagram

E
D
G
B
Try Reaction Rate Diagram Worksheet
• Don’t forget about multistep reactions!

• Rate determining step = (the tallest bump in the graph) the step that
takes the longest in an energy profile diagram
• The longest step determines the rate for the entire reaction
• “Elementary Steps” just means the bumps in the graph
• Two elementary steps means two bumps or hills in the graph