Science, Tech, Math › Science What Is an Activated Complex? And How Does It Work? Print Rafe Swan / Getty Images Science Chemistry Chemical Laws Basics Molecules Periodic Table Projects & Experiments Scientific Method Biochemistry Physical Chemistry Medical Chemistry Chemistry In Everyday Life Famous Chemists Activities for Kids Abbreviations & Acronyms Biology Physics Geology Astronomy Weather & Climate By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Chemistry Expert Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on July 21, 2019 An activated complex is an intermediate state that is formed during the conversion of reactants into products. An activated complex is the structure that results in the maximum energy point along the reaction path. The activation energy of a chemical reaction is the difference between the energy of the activated complex and the energy of the reactants. Read More Catalysts Definition and How They Work By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. How an Activated Complex Works Consider a chemical reaction between reactants A and B to form products C and D. The reactants must collide with each other and interact in order to form the products. Several factors improve the chances that A and B will encounter each other, including increased temperature, increased concentration of reactants, or adding a catalyst. In a reaction with an activated complex, A and B form the complex A-B. The complex only forms if sufficient energy (the activation energy) is present. The energy of the activated complex is higher than that of either the reactants or products, which makes the activated complex unstable and temporary. If there isn't enough energy for the activated complex to form the products, it eventually breaks apart into the reactants. If enough energy is available, the products form. Activated Complex Versus Transition State Some textbooks use the terms transition state and activated complex interchangeably, but they mean different things. The transition state refers only to the highest potential energy of the atoms participating in a chemical reaction. The activated complex covers a range of atom configurations that atoms form on their way from reactant to products. In other words, the transition state is the one molecular configuration that occurs at the peak of the energy diagram of the reaction. The activated complex may be present at any point near the transition state. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Is an Activated Complex?" ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/definition-of-activated-complex-605819. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 28). What Is an Activated Complex? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-activated-complex-605819 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "What Is an Activated Complex?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-activated-complex-605819 (accessed April 24, 2024). copy citation