activation energy
The minimum energy needed for a specific chemical reaction to take place,
even though the process may already be thermodynamically possible. In chemical
kinetics, the activation energy is the height of the potential barrier
separating the products and reactants. It determines the temperature dependence
of the reaction rate. A catalyst can decrease
the activation energy for a reaction by providing another pathway for the
reaction.
As the accompanying diagram shows, the activation energy, Ea,
is distinct from the free energy
difference, ΔG, between the reactants and products.
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