Question
Energy necessary to get a chemical reaction going.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The energy necessary to initiate a chemical reaction is known as the **activation energy**. Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy required to overcome the energy barrier for a reaction to proceed. This energy is needed to break bonds in the reactant molecules so that new bonds can form in the products.
In practical terms, activation energy can be thought of as a hill that must be climbed for a reaction to occur. If the energy supplied (from heat, light, catalysts, etc.) is below this threshold, the reaction will not occur. Once the activation energy is surpassed, the reaction can proceed, and the energy released during the formation of product bonds can drive the reaction forward.
Catalysts can lower activation energy, making it easier for reactions to occur and speeding up reaction rates without being consumed in the process.
In practical terms, activation energy can be thought of as a hill that must be climbed for a reaction to occur. If the energy supplied (from heat, light, catalysts, etc.) is below this threshold, the reaction will not occur. Once the activation energy is surpassed, the reaction can proceed, and the energy released during the formation of product bonds can drive the reaction forward.
Catalysts can lower activation energy, making it easier for reactions to occur and speeding up reaction rates without being consumed in the process.