State the Arrhenius equation and explain why the rate of a reaction rises steeply with temperature.

The Arrhenius equation is k = Ae^−Ea/RT, where Ea is the activation energy and A the frequency factor. A rise in temperature increases the fraction of molecules whose energy exceeds the activation energy, and because that fraction appears in an exponential the effect is large; a rise of ten degrees roughly doubles the rate of many reactions.

No citable source has been recorded for this record. Treat it as practice material, not as fact.

Explanation

The rise in the number of collisions alone is far too small to account for the effect.