Free Energy Barrier

A free energy barrier is a term used in science, particularly in chemistry and physics, to describe the energy threshold required for a reaction or process to occur. Think of it as a hill that a ball must roll over to get to the other side. In order for a reaction to take place, the system must gain enough energy to overcome this barrier. This concept helps explain why some reactions happen quickly while others take longer, as higher barriers require more energy or time to surmount, influencing the rates and likelihood of different processes occurring.