Question

The activation energy of reactant molecules in a reaction depends upon:

• A. Temperature
• B. Nature of the reactants
• C. Collision per unit time
• D. Concentration of reactants

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Nature of the reactants

activation energy:
The minimum amount of energy that molecules must have in order for a reaction to occur upon collision.
Nature of the Reactants:
Substances differ markedly in the rates at which they undergo chemical change. The differences in reactivity between reactions may be attributed to the different structures of the materials involved; for example, whether the substances are in solution or in the solid state matters. Another factor has to do with the relative bond strengths within the molecules of the reactants. For example, a reaction between molecules with atoms that are bonded by strong covalent bonds will take place at a slower rate than would a reaction between molecules with atoms that are bonded by weak covalent bonds. This is due to the fact that it takes more energy to break the bonds of the strongly bonded molecules.