The activation energy diagram is drawn as a hill because there is a large amount of energy needed to form the unstable transition state (viewed as the upward slope on the diagram). The difference between this peak energy and the rectants' energy is the activation energy. When this state decomposes in to more stable products (which are more stable than the reactants), the energy of the molecules is lower, thus the downward slope after the peak.
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Activation energy is the energy at the potential barrier between the two fields with low energy (at left and at right) representing the sum of energies of reactants and products; the reaction is possible if the activation energy can exceed this barrier. And in a graphic this is the pic of a hill.
It's used as an analogy. Chemical reactions all have an energy "threshold" to "get going." This "hill" must be overcome for the reaction to occur.
The activated complex is the intermediate form of a simplechemical reaction. In the following simple chemical reaction:A + B ---> C + DA & B are reactants; C & D are products. The activated complex can be written as A-B like so:A + B --> A-B --> C+ DBasically it is the complex formed when A & B "collide" together. The energy of the system increases during this collision and if it exceeds the "activation" threshold, the reaction can occur (it doesn't have to occur however. think of A-B as the top of a hill...the reaction can proceed forward, down to C & D or go backwards to reform A & B...the hill represents the energy of the system). The activated complex is also known as the transition state, or intermediate state, since it must preceed product formation.
If your home is in the shadow of a hill for example, it will require more fuel to heat it.
As the water moves lower, its Potential Energy is transformed into Kinetic Energy as its velocity increases. K.E. = 1/2 Mass x Velocity2 . The K.E. goes to zero when the motion of the water stops. The water then has a new value of Potential Energy based on its new elevation.
A hill is a hill and a mountain is a mountain(:
hill
Any catalyst will make a chemical reaction easier or quicker to happen by lowering the activation energy. On a energy diagram, you will see a lower "hill" for activation energy, which corresponds to less energy required to begin the reaction.
A reaction with a higher activation energy requires more energy to initiate the reaction. In general, reactions involving the breaking of strong chemical bonds have higher activation energies compared to reactions involving weaker bonds.
a hill over which the wagon is pushed. - novanet
An energy hill diagram represents the energy changes that occur during a chemical reaction. It visually shows the difference in energy between reactants and products, with the peak representing the activation energy needed for the reaction to occur.
Activation energy is the distance from the reactants to the top of the "hill."
For the substance(s) to react
This is the energy needed to get us from our starting point to the top of the hill would be the activation enery
Reducing activation energy allows chemical reactions in the cells of living things to occur at temperatures at which the cells can survive. Reducing activation energy is carried out by enzyme catalysts. The enzyme catalysts are not used up in the reaction, and can be used in subsequent chemical reactions.
One example of supplying activation energy to start a reaction is by heating a mixture of reactants to increase the kinetic energy of their molecules, aiding in overcoming the energy barrier for the reaction to occur. Another way is to use a catalyst, which provides an alternative reaction pathway with lower activation energy, allowing the reaction to proceed more easily.
A rock on top of a hill has potential energy, not kinetic energy. If it starts rolling down the hill then the potential energy transforms to kinetic energy.
At the top of a hill, a skier has mostly potential energy due to their elevated position. As they ski down the hill, this potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as they gain speed.
The energy stored in a bicycle at the top of a hill is potential energy, which is due to its position relative to the ground. This potential energy can be converted into kinetic energy as the bike descends the hill and gains speed.