What is the concept called when molecules involved in a chemical reaction must meet to react?
- collision theory
The concept you are referring to is called collision theory. In chemical reactions, the molecules involved need to collide with each other in order to react and form new products. The collision theory explains that for a reaction to occur, several conditions must be met. These conditions include proper orientation and sufficient energy between the colliding molecules.
To understand how collision theory works, you can imagine two molecules moving in three-dimensional space. In order for a reaction to occur, the molecules must collide with the correct orientation. This means that the reactant molecules must approach each other in such a way that their reactive sites are in the correct position to form new bonds.
In addition to correct orientation, molecules must also possess enough kinetic energy to overcome the activation energy barrier. The activation energy is the minimum amount of energy required for a chemical reaction to take place. When molecules collide with enough energy, bonds can break and new bonds can be formed, resulting in the formation of new products.
Overall, the collision theory explains why not all molecular collisions lead to a chemical reaction. It sheds light on the importance of factors such as orientation and energy in determining the outcome of a reaction.