Arrhenius Evaluation

The Arrhenius Equation

Background reading:

Common sense and chemical intuition suggest that the higher the temperature, the faster a given chemical reaction will proceed. Quantitatively this relationship between the rate a reaction proceeds and its temperature is determined by the Arrhenius Equation. At higher temperatures, the probability that two molecules will collide is higher. This higher collision rate results in a higher kinetic energy, which has an effect on the activation energy of the reaction. The activation energy is the amount of energy required to ensure that a reaction happens.

This calculator calculates the effect of temperature on reaction rates using the Arrhenius equation.

k=A*exp^(-E_a/R*T) where k is the rate coefficient, A is a constant, E_a is the activation energy, R is the universal gas constant, and T is the temperature (in degrees Kelvin).

R has the value of 8.314 x 10^-3 kJ mol^-1K^-1

You should use this calculator to investigate the influence of temperature on the rate coefficient.

This calculator allows you to perform three different calculations:

• Calculate A given k, E_a, and T
• Calculate k given A, E_a, and T
• Calculate E_a given A, k, and T