Arrhenius Equation Calculator

Calculate a reaction rate constant from activation energy, temperature, and the pre-exponential factor.

Scientific notation allowed (e.g. 1e10).

The Arrhenius Equation

The Arrhenius equation describes how the rate constant of a chemical reaction depends on temperature and activation energy. As temperature rises, more molecules possess enough energy to overcome the activation barrier, so the rate constant increases.

k = A · e^(−Ea / (R · T))

  • • k = rate constant
  • • A = pre-exponential (frequency) factor
  • • Ea = activation energy (converted from kJ/mol to J/mol)
  • • R = gas constant = 8.314 J/(mol·K)
  • • T = absolute temperature (K)

Note: The units of the rate constant k match the units of the pre-exponential factor A and depend on the reaction order. Temperature must be given in kelvin, and activation energy is entered in kJ/mol (the calculator converts it to J/mol internally to match the gas constant R = 8.314 J/(mol·K)).