Chemistry

Problem

For an uncatalyzed reaction at

298\,\text{K}

, the activation energy is

120\,\text{kJ}\,\text{mol}^{-1}

. A catalyst provides an alternative pathway with an activation energy that is

40\,\text{kJ}\,\text{mol}^{-1}

lower. Assuming the pre-exponential factor remains the same, which of the following is the best estimate for the ratio

\dfrac{k_{\text{cat}}}{k_{\text{uncat}}}

298\,\text{K}

? (Take

R = 8.314\,\text{J}\,\text{mol}^{-1}\,\text{K}^{-1}

.) a) About

10^{10}

b) About

10^{4}

c) About

10^{7}

d) About

10^{2}