Question

Will increasing the activation energy increase or decrease the rate of a reaction?

Answer 1

Decrease.

Explanation:

From the Arrhenius equation the activation energy (`E_a`) is exponentially inversely proportional to the rate constant (`k`). Because the exponent has a negative sign, increasing the numeric value decreases the resulting exponential term.

`k = Acdot"exp"(-(E_a)/(RT))`, `" "`where `e^x -= "exp"(x)`

Higher activation energies decrease the rate of a reaction. That is the main reason catalysts are so important in the chemical industry. Catalysts reduce the activation energy, allowing for more effective and efficient processes.