Learning outcomes - after studying this topic, you should be able to:

• determine the rate law from experimental data, including the rate constant and its units
• identify the reaction order from the rate law
• use the integrated rate law and half life for 1^st order reactions
• recognize the effect of temperature on reaction rates and be able to use the Arrhenius equation in calculations
• recognize that chemical reactions result from multistep processes called reaction mechanisms
• recognize the role of activation energy and collision frequency in determining rates
• work out a rate law from a simple proposed mechanism
• draw reaction profile diagrams for multi-step reactions with appropriate activation energies and intermediates
• calculate E_a and A from the temperature variation of the rate constant
• know how catalysts effect the rate of reactions without altering equilibrium constants

• Sections 15.4 - 15.5 (in Blackman, Bottle, Schmid, Mocerino and Wille, Chemistry, 3^rd Edition, 2015 (John Wiley))

Thermal Energy, Collisions and Reactions Contributed by Adam Bridgeman