key term - Kinetic energy

Definition

Kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. In the context of chemical reactions, it's related to the movement of atoms and molecules that facilitates chemical bonds to form or break.

Related terms

Chemical Reaction: A process that involves rearrangement of the molecular or ionic structure of a substance, resulting in a transformation into one or more different substances.

Potential Energy:

The stored energy in an object or system because of its position or configuration, which can be transformed into kinetic energy during chemical reactions.

Activation Energy:

The minimum quantity of energy that the reacting species must possess in order to undergo a specified reaction, often provided by kinetic energy in molecules