Activation Energy

Activation Energy

Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy required to initiate a chemical reaction. It represents the energy needed to break bonds in the reactants so that new bonds can form in the products. Even if a reaction is energetically favorable, it will not occur unless the re...

Imagine you're racing a car on a steep hill. Climbing to the top takes a lot of energy initially, but the ride is smooth once you're over it.

This is similar to what activation energy does for chemical reactions. Activation energy is the push that gets a chemical reaction started.

Why is activation energy necessary? Reactant particl...