A chemist studies the gas-phase reaction X(g) + Y(g) → products. In one experiment the reaction vessel is maintained at 300 K, and in a second otherwise identical experiment the temperature is increased to 330 K.
For both temperatures the chemist sketches a Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution of molecular speeds and marks the same vertical line that represents the minimum kinetic energy required for reaction of X with Y.
Answer the following questions about the comparison between the two distributions.
(a) Describe how the overall shape of the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution changes when the temperature is raised from 300 K to 330 K.
(b) For the energy threshold indicated, explain qualitatively how the fraction of collisions that possess at least the minimum energy changes when the temperature is increased.
(c) Assuming that molecular orientation remains unchanged, explain why the observed rate of the reaction is expected to differ between the two experiments.