Question

What does thermal energy have to do with chemical reactions

Answer 1

Thermal energy plays a crucial role in chemical reactions as it is the energy required to break or form chemical bonds. When thermal energy is transferred to a substance, the particles within the substance gain kinetic energy and move faster, leading to an increase in temperature. This increase in temperature can sometimes provide enough energy to break the existing bonds between atoms, allowing them to rearrange and form new chemical bonds, resulting in a chemical reaction. Additionally, thermal energy can also affect the rate of chemical reactions by speeding up or slowing down the movement of particles and collision frequency.