Which of the following conditions would likely cause the activation energy to be high?
A. atoms are close together
B. the temperature is hot
C. atoms are not close together
D. a catalyst is present.
atoms that are not close together. let me know if im correct.
You are correct. Atoms that are not close together. The reason is because when the atoms are not close together, it is going to need more energy to collide into each other than the ones with the high concentration that makes molecules and atoms easier to start chemical reaction which makes the amount of activation energy to be low.It applies for other two examples, too.
C. atoms are not close together
To determine which condition would likely cause the activation energy to be high, we need to understand what activation energy is and how it is affected by different factors.
Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy required for a chemical reaction to occur. It is the energy barrier that needs to be overcome for reactant molecules to transform into product molecules. The higher the activation energy, the more energy required for the reaction to take place.
Now, let's consider each option and its potential effect on activation energy:
A. Atoms are close together: When atoms are in close proximity, they are more likely to collide and interact with each other. This increased proximity can lead to a lower activation energy since it reduces the distance that reactant molecules must travel to collide and initiate the reaction. Therefore, this option is unlikely to result in a high activation energy.
B. The temperature is hot: Increasing the temperature typically increases the kinetic energy of molecules, making them move faster. As a result, there would be a higher chance of reactant molecules colliding with sufficient energy to overcome the activation barrier. Consequently, high temperatures tend to reduce the activation energy. Therefore, this option is also unlikely to cause a high activation energy.
C. Atoms are not close together: In contrast to option A, when atoms are not close together, the likelihood of their collisions decreases. Reactant molecules need to overcome a longer distance to encounter each other, making it more challenging for the reaction to occur. This increased separation would likely result in a high activation energy. Therefore, this option is a probable cause of high activation energy.
D. A catalyst is present: A catalyst is a substance that speeds up the rate of a chemical reaction by providing an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy. Catalysts do not get consumed during the reaction and can be used repeatedly. By reducing the activation energy required, catalysts facilitate reactions that might otherwise occur very slowly or not at all. Therefore, the presence of a catalyst would likely decrease the activation energy, making this option unlikely to cause a high activation energy.
Based on our analysis, the condition that is most likely to cause a high activation energy is when atoms are not close together (option C).