← All parts of this equation

Equation 1 · Part 10 · Chemical Dynamics and Catalysis in 2035: Scenarios, Signals, and Falsifiable Predictions

Numerator: E_a(Δ E_bind)

r∝exp⁡ ⁣(−Ea(ΔEbind)kBT)r \propto \exp\!\left(-\frac{E_a(\Delta E_{\text{bind}})}{k_B T}\right)
Ea(ΔEbind)E_a(\Delta E_{\text{bind}})

What this part means

The complete quantity above the fraction bar.

Its job in the formula

Ea(ΔEbind)E_a(Δ E_bind) occurs above the fraction bar. The numerator is divided by the entire denominator below it.

The passage around this formula

A catalyst does its work by opening a lower-energy pathway between reactants and products — typically by binding an intermediate, weakening a bond that would otherwise need more thermal energy to break, and then releasing the product so the surface is free for another cycle. The energetics of that binding step follow a well-established shape: bind too weakly and the reactant never activates; bind too strongly and the product never leaves. Plotted against binding energy, catalytic activity for a given reaction traces an inverted-U — the Sabatier principle — and the best catalysts sit as close as possible to the peak. Here the activation energy EaE_a is itself a function of the binding energy…

Read this part in the article →

Learn the underlying idea

A fraction a/b means a divided by b. The top number is the numerator; the bottom number is the denominator, and it cannot be zero.

Open the illustrated fractions: division written vertically guide →

Sources cited in the surrounding passage

These citations provide research context; check each source for the exact claim it supports.