Practice Collision Theory in Chemistry

Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.

Quick Recap

A model explaining that chemical reactions occur only when reactant particles collide with sufficient kinetic energy (at least equal to the activation energy) and in the correct geometric orientation.

Molecules must hit each other the right way and hard enough for bonds to break.

Example 1

easy
State the three conditions required for a successful chemical reaction according to collision theory.

Example 2

medium
Use collision theory to explain why increasing the concentration of reactants increases the reaction rate.

Example 3

medium
Using collision theory, explain why a finely ground powder reacts faster than a large chunk of the same solid.

Example 4

hard
Two reactions have the same activation energy, but Reaction A involves small, linear molecules while Reaction B involves large, complex molecules. Using collision theory, predict which reaction has a higher proportion of effective collisions and explain why.
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