How does increasing temperature affect reaction rate?

How does increasing temperature affect reaction rate?

• A. Rate decreases.
• B. Rate increases.
• C. Rate remains the same.
• D. Rate increases only for exothermic reactions.

Answer: (B)

Raising temperature increases reaction rate because particles move faster, leading to more collisions per unit time and a larger fraction of those collisions having enough energy to overcome the activation barrier. This means the rate constant k grows with temperature (k = A e^{-Ea/RT} from the Arrhenius equation), so the overall rate, which depends on k and concentrations, increases. The effect is general, not limited to exothermic reactions, and the rate does not remain the same or decrease with higher temperature.

Raising temperature increases reaction rate because particles move faster, leading to more collisions per unit time and a larger fraction of those collisions having enough energy to overcome the activation barrier. This means the rate constant k grows with temperature (k = A e^{-Ea/RT} from the Arrhenius equation), so the overall rate, which depends on k and concentrations, increases. The effect is general, not limited to exothermic reactions, and the rate does not remain the same or decrease with higher temperature.