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This spreadsheet uses the Eyring equation to draw a connection between activation barriers and the timescale of a reaction. Students input a free energy of activation and can quickly see how long a reaction will take at varying temperatures. This has been particularly useful in computational sections of literature articles that investigate possible mechanistic pathways.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Activation energy & Reaction times | 16.4 KB |
Students should be able to understand the relationship between free energy of activation and reaction completion times at varying temperatures.
None.
This spreadsheet is best used alongside a literature discussion, particularly for papers that investigate different mechanistic pathways. Students do not normally have an appreciation for how much a small change in activation energy can drastically change the realistic timeframe for reaction completion. For example, a barrier of 20 kcal/mol is easily accessible at room temperature, but a barrier increase to 25 kcal/mol would take ~20 days to reach completion at room temperature. Reaction completion times at varying temperatures allow students to better understand why a calculated pathway is more likely than another.
The spreadsheet also allows an opportunity to (re)introduce the Eyring equation.
Evaluation
The spreadsheet is used as a literature discussion aid and is not graded.
None.