In general, to calculate the activation energy for an elementary step given the rate constants at two different temperatures, which equation should be used

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The equation that relates the rate constant of an elementary step to the activation energy and temperature is the Arrhenius equation:

k = A * exp(-Ea/RT)

where k is the rate constant, A is the pre-exponential factor, Ea is the activation energy, R is the gas constant, and T is the temperature in Kelvin.

By taking the logarithm of both sides and rearranging, we get:

ln(k1/k2) = Ea/R * (1/T2 - 1/T1)

where k1 and k2 are the rate constants at temperatures T1 and T2, respectively.

This is the equation that corresponds to choice C, with some slight differences in notation. Therefore, choice C is the best option to calculate the activation energy given the rate constants at two different temperatures.

In General, to Calculate the Activation Energy for an Elementary