Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7374666 | Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications | 2018 | 16 Pages |
Abstract
The exponential factor of Arrhenius satisfactorily quantifies the energetic restriction of chemical reactions but is still awaiting a rigorous basis. By assuming that the Arrhenius equation should be grounded on statistical mechanics and is probabilistic in nature, two structures are compared for this equation, depending on whether reactant energies are envisioned as the mean values of specific energy distributions, or as particular levels in a global energy distribution. In the first version, the Arrhenius exponential factor would be a probability depending once on temperature while in the second one it is a ratio of probabilities, depending twice on temperature. These concurrent equations are tested using experimental data for the isomerization of 2-butene. This comparison reveals the fundamental structure of the Arrhenius law in isothermal systems and overlooked properties resulting from the introduction of reactant energies in the equation.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Mathematics
Mathematical Physics
Authors
Denis Michel,