What commonly happens to reaction rates at higher temperatures?

At higher temperatures, reaction rates generally increase due to higher molecular energy. This occurs because increasing the temperature provides the reacting molecules with more kinetic energy, which leads to more frequent collisions between them. Additionally, these collisions occur with greater energy, which increases the likelihood that the collisions will overcome the activation energy barrier needed for the reaction to proceed.

As the temperature rises, particles move faster, and this acceleration contributes to a greater number of effective collisions. An effective collision is one that leads to a chemical reaction, so with more molecules having energy above the activation threshold, the rate of reaction escalates. This phenomenon is commonly illustrated by the Arrhenius equation, which shows the relationship between temperature and reaction rates, emphasizing that higher temperatures lower the impact of the activation energy.

In contrast, the other choices are not representative of the typical behavior observed in chemical reactions. For example, claiming that reaction rates decrease significantly at higher temperatures overlooks the fundamental principles of kinetic molecular theory. Stating that they remain unchanged fails to recognize the impact of temperature on energy and motion, while saying that only gases increase in reaction rate does not account for the fact that liquids and solids can also exhibit increased reaction rates with temperature changes, although the mechanisms may differ amongst states of matter.