A commonly stated rule of thumb is that reaction rates double for a temperature increase of about 10°C. (This rule is very often wrong.)

(a) What must be the approximate activation energy for this statement to be true for reactions at about room temperature?

(b) Would you expect this rule of thumb to apply at room temperature for the reaction profiled in Figure 20-10? Explain.

Figure 20-10

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NNO Potential energy, kJ mol-¹ E (forward) = 209 kJ mol-¹ N N Reactants •N₂O(g) + NO(g) Transition state A,H=139 kJ mol-1 40 E(reverse) = 348 kJ mol-¹ Reaction progress Products N₂(g) + NO₂(g)