Rates of Reaction
There are certain factors we can manipulate to change the rate of a reaction:
- Temperature is a measure of average kinetic energy. An increase in temperature leads to a faster rate.
- Concentration. The more reactant molecules available to react, the greater the rate.
- Pressure. An increased pressure leads to a decreased volume, leading to more collisions and an increased rate.
- Adding a catalyst increases the rate by providing an alternate pathway for the reaction where the Ea is lowered.
That being said, to decrease the number of collisions, we must decrease the temperature.