WOLFRAM|DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECT

Exponential Model for Arrhenius Activation Energy​

​
plot type
c vs.
E
a
E
a
vs. c
activation energy,
E
a
, units
kJ/mol
kcal/mol
T
ref
(°C)
50.
E
a
70.
c
0.1
At temperatures around some appropriate reference temperature
T
ref
, a chemical reaction’s rate constant
k(T)
, represented by the Arrhenius equation, can also be described by a simpler exponential model. This Demonstration converts the Arrhenius equation activation energy
E
a
(in kilojoules/mole or kilocalories/mole) into the exponential model
c
parameter (in
-1
°C
) for a chosen
T
ref
. Similarly, it converts the exponential model
c
parameter into a corresponding activation energy as defined by the Arrhenius equation. The conversions permit using published
E
a
values in software for predicting degradation and synthesis patterns written for the exponential model, or comparing calculated
c
values with known activation energies.