The particles in a sample of gas have differing amounts of kinetic energy.

What is
the distribution of these energies amongst the particles?
No particles have zero energy.
There is an energy that is the most probable energy for particles in the gas.
There are particles with higher energies.
A small number of the particles in the gas have very high energies.
This graph is called the Maxwell-Boltzmann energy distribution curve.
The area under the curve is equal to the total number of particles in the sample of
gas.
The peak of the curve shows the most probable energy for a particle in the sample
of gas.
When a sample of gas is heated, the most probable energy increases but there are
fewer particles with that energy.
More particles have the highest energies.
What effect does this have on reactions?
The activation energy is the minimum energy needed for a collision between
particles to result in a reaction.
The activation energy is the minimum energy needed for a collision between
particles to result in a reaction.
These particles have less than the activation energy. Their collisions will not result in
a reaction.
These particles have more than the activation energy. Their collisions
will result in a reaction if they have a favourable orientation.
These particles have more than the activation energy. Their collisions
will result in a reaction if they have a favourable orientation.
What happens to the number of particles with greater than the activation energy
when the temperature increases?
This curve shows the distribution of energies at a higher temperature than the one
before.
More particles have greater than the activation energy at the higher temperature.
What happens when a catalyst is added?
Catalysts provide an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy.
More particles have greater than the activation energy when a catalyst is present.