Eyring and Polanyi (Eyring)

Eyring and Polanyi contributed to our understanding of chemical reactions by explaining how molecules overcome energy barriers to react. They proposed that reactions involve molecules passing through a transition state—a high-energy, unstable configuration—similar to climbing a hill. The rate of a reaction depends on how often molecules gain enough energy to reach this transition state. Temperature increases the number of molecules with sufficient energy, speeding up reactions. Their model helps predict reaction rates and shows that reactions are controlled by the energy required to reach this critical transition point, providing a detailed picture of the molecular process behind chemical changes.