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What is the effect of temperature on the rate of the photochemical reaction between sulfur dioxide and chlorine gas in the presence of UV light, and how does this relate to the activation energy of the reaction?

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The rate of a photochemical reaction, such as the reaction between sulfur dioxide  SO2  and chlorine gas  Cl2  in the presence of UV light, is influenced by temperature. As the temperature increases, the reaction rate generally increases as well. This is because higher temperatures provide more energy to the reacting molecules, increasing their kinetic energy and the likelihood of successful collisions.However, it is important to note that photochemical reactions are primarily driven by the absorption of light energy  in this case, UV light  rather than thermal energy. The light energy promotes the molecules to an excited state, which then allows the reaction to proceed. Therefore, while temperature does play a role in the reaction rate, the primary factor affecting the rate is the intensity and wavelength of the UV light.In terms of activation energy, the relationship between temperature and reaction rate can be described by the Arrhenius equation:k = Ae^-Ea/RT where k is the rate constant, A is the pre-exponential factor, Ea is the activation energy, R is the gas constant, and T is the temperature in Kelvin. According to this equation, an increase in temperature leads to an increase in the rate constant, which in turn increases the reaction rate.However, since photochemical reactions are primarily driven by light energy, the activation energy in this case may be lower than in a thermally driven reaction. This is because the light energy absorbed by the molecules can help overcome the activation energy barrier, allowing the reaction to proceed more easily.In summary, the effect of temperature on the rate of the photochemical reaction between sulfur dioxide and chlorine gas in the presence of UV light is that an increase in temperature generally leads to an increase in the reaction rate. However, the primary factor affecting the reaction rate is the intensity and wavelength of the UV light. The activation energy of the reaction may be lower than in a thermally driven reaction due to the contribution of light energy in overcoming the activation energy barrier.

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