Question

What does the red line in the diagram below represent?

A. The equilibrium position
B. The difference in energy between the reactants and products
C. The potential energy of the reactants
D. The activation energy

Answer 1

The activation energy

Step-by-step explanation:

The activation energy is the energy hump that lies between reactants and products. It is the energy barrier that reactants must cross before they are converted into products.

Based on the collision theory, only particles that possess the activation energy are able to collide in such a way that leads to reaction.

Collision of particles having an energy content less than the activation energy of the reaction merely leads to elastic collision between such particles.