Return to Web Labs at ReactorLab.net
(by Claude Sonnet 4, see prompt & comment below, 6/23/2025)
Arrhenius Equation: k = A × e^(-Ea/RT)
Higher temperatures increase the reaction rate exponentially by providing more energy to overcome the activation barrier.
How Temperature Affects Different Reaction Types:
Endothermic Reactions (ΔH > 0): Higher temperatures favor product formation (more red molecules). Thermal energy is absorbed during the reaction.
Exothermic Reactions (ΔH < 0): Higher temperatures favor reactant formation (more blue molecules). Thermal energy is released during the reaction.
Rate vs. Equilibrium: While reaction rate always increases with temperature, the equilibrium position shifts according to Le Châtelier's principle.
Comment: The simulation you see here is version 10.
This experiment took many more tries than I would have guessed beforehand.
The first plots showed numerical oscillations and nonsense results.
The agent started out with an endothermic reaction without stating that on the page,
the colors of the molecules didn't change in sync with the changes in the plot, etc.
Note that I didn't ask for the simulation of the molecules moving and changing color
but I tried to work with it. I don't think a student would have had this patience
unless it was a week-long or term assignment...
-------
Prompt 1 of 10: make a web page with an interactive animation that
explains how temperature affects a chemical reaction - allow me to change
temperature and see plot of reactant and product concentration vs time.