activation energy
Chemical reaction barrier
Activation energy is the minimum energy required for a chemical reaction to occur.
Even when a reaction releases energy overall, molecules must first overcome this energy barrier to transform.
Catalysts work by lowering the activation energy, allowing reactions to proceed faster or at lower temperatures.
The concept extends metaphorically to any initial effort needed to start a process: Getting out of bed requires too much activation energy on Monday mornings.
Point of beginning
- overcomePrevail against difficulty
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
- sparkTiny fiery particle
- ignitionStarting combustion process
hurdle · input · stability · inertness · inhibition · rate-limiting · triggering · starting point
Rate-temperature mathematical relationship
- enthalpyThermodynamic total heat quantity
- endothermicAbsorbing thermal energy
- exothermicReleasing energy as heat
- temperatureMeasured heat intensity
heat · Gibbs · entropy · molecular motion
Speed of chemical change
- kineticsScience of motion forces
- reactantsSubstances entering a reaction
- productsItems made for sale
- intermediatesThings between endpoints
Agent enabling change
- enzymeProtein that hastens reactions
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- active siteEnzyme region binding substrates
- cofactorEnzyme-activating compound
lowering · acceleration · facilitator · turnover · specificity · inhibitor · promoter · biocatalyst
Cell's energy molecule
- glycolysisGlucose metabolism producing ATP
- cellular respirationCell-level fuel burning
- phosphorylationPhosphate group attachment process
- Michaelis-MentenEnzyme rate equation
threshold
Point of beginning
- overcomePrevail against difficulty
- initiationFormal admission ceremony
- sparkTiny fiery particle
ignition · hurdle · input · stability · inertness · inhibition · rate-limiting · triggering · starting point · jumpstart
Arrhenius equation
Rate-temperature mathematical relationship
- enthalpyThermodynamic total heat quantity
- endothermicAbsorbing thermal energy
- exothermicReleasing energy as heat
temperature · heat · Gibbs · entropy · molecular motion
reaction rate
Speed of chemical change
catalyst
Agent enabling change
- enzymeProtein that hastens reactions
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- active siteEnzyme region binding substrates
cofactor · lowering · acceleration · facilitator · turnover · specificity · inhibitor · promoter · biocatalyst · platinum
ATP
Cell's energy molecule
- glycolysisGlucose metabolism producing ATP
- cellular respirationCell-level fuel burning
- phosphorylationPhosphate group attachment process
- energyelectricity, power, oil, fuel, gas
- chemistryatom, atoms, organic chemistry, molecule, chemistry
- combustionburning, flames, fire triangle, ignition source, oxygen
- biochemistryenzymes, proteins, biochemistry, protein, enzyme
- physical chemistrythermodynamics, kinetics, chemical equilibrium, reaction rates, entropy
- reaction mechanismsbond breaking, bond cleavage, SN1, SN2, elimination
energy, inactive, activate, inactivity, proactive, activated, activation, hyperactive, activates