What IS activation energy, really?

What is activation energy in chemistry? Where does it come from and why is it so important? Using 3D animations, we look at what gives reactions a high or low activation energy and why it is so important to reaction rates. Along the way, we look at examples, like the science of explosives and rocket fuels.

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‘Ignition’ by John D Clark – I was going to post a link to a free resource but it appears the book is back in print. Since I’m not sure if the legal status of free links has changed, I’ll leave it to you to google it and do the right thing.

More on FOOF: https://www.science.org/content/blog-...

Image credits:
NASA booster ignition: images-assets.nasa.gov/video/NASA's Space Launch System Booster Passes Major Milestone on Journey to Mars (QM-2)/NASA's Space Launch System Booster Passes Major Milestone on Journey to Mars (QM-2)~orig.mp4
Hypergolic footage from: Toxic Propellant Hazards, Toxic Propellant Hazards US National Archives
Mercury: NASA images-assets.nasa.gov/image/PIA11245/PIA11245~orig.jpg
Train explosion: Center for Disease Control: A Review of Recent Accidents Involving Explosives Transport
Mass spectrometer: Mass Spectrometer Service, University of Bath
C4: By Senior Airman Rusty Frank -, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Rocket test firing photos (before and after explosion): US Navy
Free photos from pexels.com :
Baking: pexels-shvets-production-8900081
Sugar: pexels-suzyhazelwood-2523650

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Three Twentysix Project Leader: Dr Andrew Robertson
3D animations/production assistant: Es Hiranpakorn
Graphic Design: Maria Sucianto

This video was produced at Kyushu University and supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP21K02904. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Kyushu University, JSPS or MEXT.