Part C In the Options window of the simulation, select Pie to show the pie chart. In the window labeled Start with how many, use the up arrows to add 40 particles of A and 40 particles of BC. Then press the Begin experiment button. Wait a few seconds for the reaction to come to equilibrium, and then click pause near the bottom of the screen.

Study the graph on the left. The green line shows total average energy. The blue line shows the amount of potential energy possessed by the reactants and the products. Recall that substances most readily take the form in which they have the least potential energy. The amount of potential energy can be adjusted, affecting the outcome of the reaction. Recall that in the initial experiment for synthesizing ammonia, only about 20% of the reactants were converted to the products.

Click the Play arrow to resume the simulation. Then adjust the potential energy curve so the proportion of reactants to products is roughly the same as the proportion in the initial experiment. Adjust the center slider up or down so there’s a bump in the middle of the energy curve. The bump represents the energy the particles must have to react. Take a screenshot of the energy curve, and use the Insert Image button to paste it in the answer space.