Question

Which type(s) of collisions are most important for the reactant molecules in a unimolecular reaction?

A. Collisions between reactant and the solvent
B. Collisions between reactant and product
C. Collisions between two different kinds of reactants
D. Collisions between reactant and container

Answer 1

@thomaster This one. Please help me.

Answer 2

Do you know what a unimolecular reaction is?

Answer 3

Yes. I was just reading over the lesson for this. I think the answer is C. Can you check please?

Answer 4

Why do you think it's C? Can you explain using the definition of a unimolecular reaction?

Answer 5

Well since a unimolecular reaction occurs when a molecule rearranges itself to produce one or more products, don't two reactants collide?

Answer 6

Yea 1 molecule rearranges itself, so there is no reaction between different molecules.
In a unimolecular reaction the molecule does not react with other molecules.

Examples are nuclear reactions, or heat decomposition reactions.

Answer 7

collision between 2 reactants would make it a bimolecular reaction

Answer 8

Does this have anything to do with the collision theory?

Answer 9

So it would be B?

Answer 10

reactant and product are 2 different molecules, so that would be a bimolecular reaction too

Answer 11

Ok then so it's D? Because it reacts with the container with doesn't count as a molecule?

Answer 12

I think so yea.
I also think this is a strange question, because I think the most important collision for a unimolecular reaction is a collision with the same molecule. If the molecules have enough activation energy they will react, but there is only 1 kind of molecule and therefore would be a unimolecular reaction. The necessary activation energy can be obtained if you heat up the solution for example. But collision with the container to form a new product would also count as unimolecular since the molecules of the container are not in the equation.

The same would be for solvent. If the solvent is not used in the reaction but 1 molecule reacts because it collides with the solvent molecule, it'd be a unimolecular reaction.

So I'm doubting between A and D

Answer 13

Yeah same here. If I had to choose the best answer, I would choose A, but what would you choose?

Answer 14

@JFraser Help please!

Answer 15

I don't like any of the options for this question, I'll have to think about it for a while

Answer 16

Ok. Tell me what you think.

Answer 17

@JFraser Well bro, while you're thinking, do you think you could help me out with my question?