Boxi Learn › Chemistry › Stage 4 · Systems and Argument
Hotter means harder hits
CHEM-4 Reactions have a speed and a balance pointX-1 Guess, then check
What many people think
Heating speeds a reaction only because particles collide more often.
The idea
Warming speeds a reaction mainly because many more collisions carry enough energy to react, not just because there are more collisions.
Explain it
A friend says heat makes particles bump into each other more, and that's why reactions go faster. Using the words “activation energy” and “fraction”, tell them what they are missing.
Try at home
Drop a fizzing tablet (vitamin C or antacid) into cold water and another into warm water, and time how long each fizzes. Then crush one and drop it into cold water: that is surface area at work.