BRAINCAKEActivation Energy
The activation energy, Ea, is the minimum energy that colliding particles must have for a reaction to occur.
Even exothermic reactions need an input of energy to get started, because bonds in the reactants must begin to break before new bonds can form. This is why methane does not burn in air until a spark or flame is applied.
Reaction profiles
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More in Reaction Rates
- The Rate of Reaction
- Collision Theory
- Steric Hindrance
- Effect of Concentration
- Effect of Pressure
- Effect of Surface Area
- Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution Curve
- Effect of Temperature
All 12 lessons in Reaction Rates · All Edexcel AS-level Chemistry topics