Question

Define Effective collision.

Hint:

Only a small fraction of total collisions are effective. Increasing temperature increases the number of effective collisions by raising molecular energy.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the term "collision" in chemistry.
In chemical reactions, molecules or atoms collide with each other. However, not all collisions lead to a reaction. A collision only leads to a reaction if it meets certain criteria.

Step 2: Defining effective collision.
An effective collision is a collision between reacting molecules or atoms that results in a chemical reaction. For a collision to be effective, two factors are required: - Proper orientation: The molecules must collide in a way that allows the reactive parts of the molecules to come into contact with each other. - Enough energy: The molecules must collide with sufficient kinetic energy to overcome the activation energy barrier of the reaction.

Step 3: Importance of effective collisions.
Not all collisions have the necessary orientation or energy to break bonds and form new ones. Only those collisions that meet both of these criteria are termed "effective," and they contribute to the overall rate of the chemical reaction.

Final Answer: An effective collision is a collision between molecules or atoms that has the correct orientation and enough energy to lead to a chemical reaction.