Question about activation energy and reaction rates.

[yungwun22]

Homework Statement

I know that temperature and kinetic energy are related, so as temperature increases the energy of the reactants as well as the amount of collisions and bonds formed, increases. I take this as meaning that the rate increases. But I also read in my organic book that in nucleophilic reactions, the stronger the solvation of the nucleophile, the greater the energy required to remove the nucleophile from it's solvation shell to reach the solvation state will be, lowering the rate of reaction. These ideas seem contradictory.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

I think the first idea has to do more with internal energy of the system and the second with activation energy in terms of maybe Gibbs free energy or enthalpy, but I'm not too sure.

 

[Borek]

You are comparing apples and oranges. Try to elaborate on why do you think these ideas are contradictory.

 

[yungwun22]

Try to elaborate on why do you think these ideas are contradictory.

Because the rate increases in the first and decreases in the second, but that there is an increase of energy in both scenarios. I felt that there should be a high reaction rate in the second scenario as well.

 

[Borek]

These are completely different energies, so you can't compare them.