Activation Energy

Real World Example

Imagine trying to start your car on a cold winter morning. Just as your car needs a certain amount of energy from the battery to turn over the engine and get it running, a chemical reaction requires a minimum amount of energy, known as activation energy, to begin. In this analogy, the cold engine is like the reactants in a chemical reaction, the battery provides the activation energy, and once the engine starts, it resembles the reaction proceeding smoothly.