chem vocab

• Enthalpy of a reaction- delta H is the energy difference from the reactants to the products

• Activation energy, E_a- is the energy difference from the reactants to the transition state

• Reaction rate- rate at which the reactants fo a chemical reaction form the products

• Collision theory- in order for a collision to be effective, reactant particles must possess a sufficient amount of kinetic energy to break the necessary bonds in the reactants

• Activation energy- the minimum energy requirement for colliding particles to react

• Activated complex- transition state that exists for a short period of time in a chemical reaction as the bonds in the reactants are breaking and the bonds in the products are forming

• Reaction intermediate- product of one step in a multistep reaction and a reactant in a following step

• Catalyst- substance that increases reaction rates by providing a lower energy path food the reaction without being used up during the reaction 

• Enzymes- are proteins or other molecules that fold into specific shapes to form indentations called active sites 

• Reversible reactions- product molecules under ordinary conditions can react to form the original reactant molecules

• Chemical equilibrium- a state of balance in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal

• Equilibrium position- the relative concentrations of the reactants and products are equilibrium 

• Le Chatelier’s principle- if a chemical system at equilibrium experiences a disturbance, it changes in a way that counteracts the change as it returns to equilibrium

• Crossover temperature- the outdoor air temperature where the system transitions from using the heat pump for heating to utilizing the backup heating source

• Equilibrium constance- the value of tis reaction quotient at chemical equilibrium

Equilibrium position- a state where a system is at rest and the net force acting on it is zero, meaning all forces are balanced