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In chemical kinetics, the pre-exponential factor or A factor is the pre-exponential constant in the Arrhenius equation (equation shown below), an empirical relationship between temperature and rate coefficient. It is usually designated by A when determined from experiment, while Z is usually left for collision frequency. The pre-exponential factor can be thought of as a measure of the frequency of properly oriented collisions. It is typically determined experimentally by measuring the rate constant ${\displaystyle k}$ at a particular temperature and fitting the data to the Arrhenius equation. The pre-exponential factor is generally not exactly constant, but rather depends on the specific reaction being studied and the temperature at which the reaction is occurring.

$${\displaystyle A={\frac {k}{e^{-{\frac {E_{a}}{RT}}}}}=ke^{\frac {E_{a}}{RT}}}$$

The units of the pre-exponential factor A are identical to those of the rate constant and will vary depending on the order of the reaction. For a first-order reaction, it has units of s. For that reason, it is often called frequency factor.

According to collision theory, the frequency factor, A, depends on how often molecules collide when all concentrations are 1 mol/L and on whether the molecules are properly oriented when they collide. Values of A for some reactions can be found at Collision theory.

According to transition state theory, A can be expressed in terms of the entropy of activation of the reaction.

References

1. "How do you calculate the pre-exponential factor from the Arrhenius equation?". Retrieved December 8, 2022.

• IUPAC Gold Book definition of pre-exponential factor

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