We use the Activated Collision Energy Model to explain the mechanisms of the reactions. This is a well established model for chemical reactions in which high energy collisions of molecules allow the change or transfer of electrons to occur in the reactions. The numbers of molecules with high enough energies for the reactions to take place are determined by the MBD and their number increases with Temperature. Correspondingly the rate of reaction increases with Temperature and the usual rule of thumb given is the rate doubles for every increase of 10 C. For each combustible gas there is a Temperature, the Ignition Temperature, below which the reaction does not occur. There are problems with this model but is useful to illustrate our approach in a simple way. For the first example, the equation for the reaction is: 2H2O + O2 = 2H2O (1) A System made up of gaseous Hydrogen and Oxygen at 1Atm and 100 C is in a stable Kinetic Equilibrium and the molecules have a MBD of energies. It will remain in that state indefinitely. Provide a source of ignition, however, and the reaction will proceed rapidly to produce an equilibrium mixture of Hydrogen, Oxygen and water as indicated by Equation 1 while generating large amounts of heat. The source of the heat arises mainly from the changes in the energy states of the electrons in the molecules which occur in the reaction. The molecular changes explain what is going on. At the initial conditions the molecules have a MBD. There are no high energy molecules with sufficient energy to react at 1Atm and 100 C. Introduce a source of ignition, like a match, and a small volume of gas is heated sufficiently to have molecules with sufficient energy to react so the reaction occurs in that small volume. This releases heat which heats up adjacent volumes of the gas mixture above the Ignition Temperature and the reaction spreads throughout the whole volume. In terms of our new definition we have provided a Mechanism, which is in this case a reaction mechanism. The initial reactions by heating up the gas have provided molecules that allow the energy changes to occur for the reaction to proceed throughout the System.
We use the Activated Collision Energy Model to explain the mechanisms of the reactions. This is a well established model for chemical reactions in which high energy collisions of molecules allow the change or transfer of electrons to occur in the reactions. The numbers of molecules with high enough energies for the reactions to take place are determined by the MBD and their number increases with Temperature. Correspondingly the rate of reaction increases with Temperature and the usual rule of thumb given is the rate doubles for every increase of 10 C. For each combustible gas there is a Temperature, the Ignition Temperature, below which the reaction does not occur. There are problems with this model but is useful to illustrate our approach in a simple way. For the first example, the equation for the reaction is: 2H2O + O2 = 2H2O (1) A System made up of gaseous Hydrogen and Oxygen at 1Atm and 100 C is in a stable Kinetic Equilibrium and the molecules have a MBD of energies. It will remain in that state indefinitely. Provide a source of ignition, however, and the reaction will proceed rapidly to produce an equilibrium mixture of Hydrogen, Oxygen and water as indicated by Equation 1 while generating large amounts of heat. The source of the heat arises mainly from the changes in the energy states of the electrons in the molecules which occur in the reaction. The molecular changes explain what is going on. At the initial conditions the molecules have a MBD. There are no high energy molecules with sufficient energy to react at 1Atm and 100 C. Introduce a source of ignition, like a match, and a small volume of gas is heated sufficiently to have molecules with sufficient energy to react so the reaction occurs in that small volume. This releases heat which heats up adjacent volumes of the gas mixture above the Ignition Temperature and the reaction spreads throughout the whole volume. In terms of our new definition we have provided a Mechanism, which is in this case a reaction mechanism. The initial reactions by heating up the gas have provided molecules that allow the energy changes to occur for the reaction to proceed throughout the System.