Speed and Reactions

[foodchain]

I don’t know if I titled it correctly so please pardon me.

 

Is there a certain speed and or velocity in which you cannot anymore have chemical reactions take place? Such as is there maybe a min or a max in regards to speed or velocity of atoms in which they cannot react overall. I hope I worded that well enough.

 

Bonus question for anyone who cares really, I did not want to make such its own thread.

 

Would it be more applicable to view an atom somewhat like static on a t.v screen? I would like to try to word it better, so maybe just like a little fuzzy blip maybe? I have read on various versions on how to mentally view what an atom looks like and I don’t really know what’s the sound direction to take on that.

[swansont]

You mean speed of individual particles? Because the center-of-mass motion of a system won't matter; relativity tells us that that system can view itself as being at rest. So the the effect has to be confined to the particles involved.

 

And that answer is yes, because the speed of the particles is related to the energy. Within a certain range a higher speed will increase reaction rates (and lowering it slows them down), but above some value, you won't form bound systems anymore. An incoming particle will simply ionize the target. You will start forming a plasma, and not have the same chemistry taking place.