How does an increase in temperature affect the rate of a chemical reaction?

An increase in temperature will increse the rate of a chemical reaction, and a decrease in temperature will decrese the rate. This is because the hotter the reactant particles are, the more kinetic energy the particles will have. Reactions only occur when particles collide successfully. For particles to collide successfully, they must collide with enough energy. Therefore, the greater the energy of the particles, the greater the number of successfull collisions there will be. The greater the number if successful collitions in a given time e.g. one minute, the fater the rate of the reaction. In addition, due to the increase in kinetic energy, the particles will be moving more quickly. This means collisions will also take place more frequently, this will also contribute to an increased rate of reaction.

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Answered by Victoria E. Chemistry tutor

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