VI. On the variation with temperature of the rate of a chemical change

In a study of the laws of connexion between the conditions of a chemical change and its amount, whose results have been communicated at intervals to the Royal Society, one of the conditions varied was the temperature of the solution in which the change took place. On considering the numerical results, our first observation was that the increase of rate due to increase of temperature could be nearly represented for equal increments of temperature by a geometric progression. The rate was approximately doubled by each rise of ten degrees in the temperature of the solution. But the ratio of the series gradually diminished as the temperature rose, and a formula had to be found giving a series of this kind. For the way in which such a formula was found, see ‘Phil. Trans.,’ Series A, vol. 186, pp. 855-866.