Chemical kinetics

Chemical kinetics is the branch of chemistry that is concerned with the study of the rates of chemical reactions. It is also referred to as reaction kinetics.

Overview

Chemical kinetics includes investigations of how different experimental conditions can influence the speed of a chemical reaction and yield information about the reaction's mechanism and transition states, as well as the construction of mathematical models that can describe the characteristics of a chemical reaction.

Rate of Reaction

The rate of reaction refers to the speed at which the reactants are converted into products in a chemical reaction. It is usually defined in terms of the rate of decrease of concentration of a reactant or the rate of increase in concentration of a product. The rate of reaction is influenced by factors such as concentration, temperature, pressure, and the presence of catalysts.

Reaction Mechanism

A reaction mechanism is a detailed sequence of elementary reaction steps that make up the overall chemical reaction. These steps include all the details of the chemical process, including the motions of the particles, the breaking and forming of bonds, and the physical states of the reactants and products.

Transition State Theory

Transition state theory is a theory that explains the reaction rates of elementary chemical reactions. The theory assumes a special type of chemical equilibrium (quasi-equilibrium) between reactants and activated transition state complexes.

Mathematical Models

Mathematical models in chemical kinetics are mathematical equations that describe the rate of reaction in terms of the concentrations of reactants and products. The most common type of mathematical model is the rate equation.

See Also

• Arrhenius equation
• Collision theory
• Rate equation
• Reaction rate constant
• Chemical equilibrium