Chemical Kinetics

Skills to develop
Explain the term chemical kinetics, and describe factors that influence rate of chemical reactions
Define and use proper units for chemical reaction rates.
Give the conditions for homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions.
Chemical Kinetics Chemical kinetics is the study and discussion of chemical reactions with respect to reaction rates, effect of various variables, re-arrangement of atoms, formation of intermediates etc. There are many topics to be discussed, and each of these topics is a tool for the study of chemical reactions. By the way, the study of motion is called kinetics, from Greek kinesis, meaning movement.
At the macroscopic level, we are interested in amounts reacted, formed, and the rates of their formation. At the molecular or microscopic level, the following considerations must also be made in the discusion of chemical reaction mechanism.
Molecules or atoms of reactants must collide with each other in chemical reactions.
The molecules must have sufficient energy (discussed in terms of activation energy) to initiate the reaction.
In some cases, the orientation of the molecules during the collision must also be considered.