What do you mean by energy of activation

The energy of activation (also called activation energy) is the amount of energy that must be supplied to a chemical reaction in order for it to proceed. It is the minimum amount of energy required to start a chemical reaction by breaking the bonds between the reactants and forming new bonds to create the products.

In other words, the energy of activation is the energy barrier that must be overcome in order for the reaction to occur. It is the difference in energy between the reactants and the transition state of the reaction, which is the highest-energy point along the reaction pathway.

Once the energy of activation is overcome, the reaction can proceed spontaneously and release energy, such as heat or light. The value of the energy of activation depends on the specific reaction and the conditions under which it is taking place, such as temperature and pressure.

What is energy of activation with example

he energy of activation (Ea) is the minimum amount of energy required for a chemical reaction to occur. This energy is needed to overcome the energy barrier between the reactants and the transition state of the reaction, which is the highest-energy point along the reaction pathway. Here is an example to illustrate the concept of energy of activation:

Consider the reaction between hydrogen gas (H2) and chlorine gas (Cl2) to form hydrogen chloride (HCl):

H2 + Cl2 → 2HCl

This reaction requires energy to proceed, and the energy of activation is the minimum amount of energy required to initiate the reaction. In this case, the energy of activation is relatively high, which means that the reaction is not spontaneous at room temperature and pressure. However, if the temperature is increased, more of the reactant molecules will have enough kinetic energy to overcome the energy of activation and react. This can be observed in the laboratory when a spark is used to initiate the reaction between hydrogen and chlorine, which provides the necessary energy of activation to start the reaction. Once the reaction has started, it continues spontaneously and releases energy in the form of heat and light.

In summary, the energy of activation is the minimum amount of energy required to initiate a chemical reaction, and it plays an important role in determining whether a reaction is spontaneous or not.

Which best describes the energy of activation

The energy of activation is the minimum amount of energy that must be supplied to a chemical reaction in order for it to occur. It is the energy barrier that must be overcome for the reaction to proceed, and it is the difference in energy between the reactants and the transition state of the reaction, which is the highest-energy point along the reaction pathway. The energy of activation determines the rate of the reaction and whether it is spontaneous or not. A higher energy of activation means that the reaction is slower and less likely to occur, while a lower energy of activation means that the reaction is faster and more likely to occur. Therefore, the energy of activation is a crucial factor in understanding and predicting chemical reactions.