A Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution shows
a) The potential energy of the reactants and products
b) The enthalpy change of a reaction
c) The fraction of collisions versus energy
d) The change in activation energy of a reaction
e) The temperature of the reactants
c) The fraction of collisions versus energy
what is the final and correct answer?
The correct answer is:
c) The fraction of collisions versus energy
The correct answer is c) The fraction of collisions versus energy.
To understand this, let's break down the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. The distribution describes the speeds (or velocities) of molecules in a gas at a given temperature. It shows the probability of finding molecules with different speeds in the gas.
The x-axis of the distribution represents the speed (or kinetic energy) of particles, and the y-axis represents the fraction of particles with that particular speed. The shape of the distribution curve depends on the temperature of the gas.
The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution is used in collision theory, which helps us understand the rates of chemical reactions. When reactant particles collide, they need to have a certain minimum amount of energy, called the activation energy, to overcome the energy barrier and react. The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution shows the fraction of particles that have enough energy to react.
Therefore, the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution provides information about the fraction of collisions versus energy, allowing us to understand the likelihood of chemical reactions occurring based on the energy of the colliding particles.