CHAPTER III 



THE INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON THE 

 VELOCITY OF REACTIONS - REACTIONS OF CELLS 



IN general reactions proceed very much more rapidly 

 at higher than at lower temperatures. A very well- 

 known exception is the breaking down of radio- 

 active substances, which seems to be wholly in- 

 dependent of temperature. The influence of the 

 temperature is given by the formula 



ToTl 



where T and T 1 are two temperatures reckoned from 

 the absolute zero. K is the velocity of reaction at 

 the temperature T , and K a that at T 1 ; ^ is a con- 

 stant. The greater /i is the more rapidly the velocity 

 of reaction increases with temperature. For radio- 

 active substances //. is zero. 



If T and T l are not too far from each other, the 

 value of TjjTj does not change very much in the 

 interval from T to T x and then the formula may 

 be written : 



or 



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