Does free energy affect the reaction rate?

1 Answer
Dr. Hayek
Jan 3, 2016

No.

Explanation:

For every chemical reaction, there are two domains:

  • Domain of thermodynamics : Determines in which direction the reaction will happen spontaneously.
  • Domain of kinetics : Determines the reaction pathway. Shorter pathway will lead to a faster reaction.
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    color(grey)("Image source: Zumdahl textbook")Image source: Zumdahl textbook

The free energy (DeltaG) is a thermodynamic factor, however, the reaction rate (R) is a kinetic factor, and therefore, they are independent of each other.

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