Question

The activation energy for the reaction NO2 (g )+ CO (g) ⟶ NO (g) + CO2 (g) is Ea = 218 kJ/mol and the change in enthalpy for the reaction is ΔH = -252 kJ/mol . What is the activation energy for the reverse reaction? Enter your answer numerically and in terms of kJ/mol.

Answer 1

`470(KJ)/(mol)`

Step-by-step explanation:

The activation energy represents the energy barrier that reagents must pass to transform into products (or products to transform into reagents in a reverse reaction)

For any reaction, the change in enthalpy is related to the activation energy by the equation

`\Delta H =E_(a\ direct)-E_(a\ reverse)`

So, the activation energy for the reverse reaction is

`E_(a\ reverse)=E_(a\ direct)-\Delta H =218 (KJ)/(mol) - (-252)(KJ)/(mol)=470(KJ)/(mol)`