AP Chemistry · Unit 5: Kinetics
5.6 Reaction Energy Profile
In short
You should know that the reaction coordinate plots the complex motions of rearranging reactants to products, proceeding through a transition state. The activation energy is the energy difference between reactants and the transition state. You must also understand that reaction rates are temperature-dependent because the proportion of collisions energetic enough to reach the transition state varies with temperature, as related by the Arrhenius equation.
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What else do you need to know about Reaction Energy Profile?
Calculations involving the Arrhenius equation are explicitly excluded and will not be assessed on the AP Exam.
Can you do these?
- I can state that elementary reactions typically involve breaking some bonds and forming new ones.
- I can describe the reaction coordinate as the axis plotting the motions involved in rearranging reactants to products.
- I can identify the transition state, reactants, products, and activation energy on a reaction energy profile.
- I can explain the temperature dependence of reaction rates using the proportion of energetic collisions and the Arrhenius equation conceptually.
How is Reaction Energy Profile tested on the exam?
Questions may ask you to represent chemical substances or phenomena with appropriate diagrams or models (Skill 3.B). You may need to draw or interpret reaction energy profiles, identifying activation energy, transition states, and overall energy changes. Calculations using the Arrhenius equation will not be assessed.
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Reaction Energy Profile: common questions
What do you need to know about Reaction Energy Profile for AP Chemistry?
You should know that the reaction coordinate plots the complex motions of rearranging reactants to products, proceeding through a transition state. The activation energy is the energy difference between reactants and the transition state. You must also understand that reaction rates are temperature-dependent because the proportion of collisions energetic enough to reach the transition state varies with temperature, as related by the Arrhenius equation.
How is Reaction Energy Profile tested on the AP Chemistry exam?
Questions may ask you to represent chemical substances or phenomena with appropriate diagrams or models (Skill 3.B). You may need to draw or interpret reaction energy profiles, identifying activation energy, transition states, and overall energy changes.
How do I know I have mastered Reaction Energy Profile?
Check you can do each of these: state that elementary reactions typically involve breaking some bonds and forming new ones; describe the reaction coordinate as the axis plotting the motions involved in rearranging reactants to products; identify the transition state, reactants, products, and activation energy on a reaction energy profile; explain the temperature dependence of reaction rates using the proportion of energetic collisions and the Arrhenius equation conceptually.
Where does Reaction Energy Profile fit in AP Chemistry?
Reaction Energy Profile is topic 5.6 in Unit 5: Kinetics of AP Chemistry.
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