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.
    enter image source here
    color(grey)("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.

Related questions
See all questions in Spontaneous and Non-Spontaneous Processes
Impact of this question
6793 views around the world
You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License