Thermodynamic feasibility of the reaction alone cannot decide the rate of the reaction. Explain with the help of one example.

Explanation

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Thermodynamic Feasibility:**
- Thermodynamic feasibility refers to whether a reaction can occur under given conditions. It is determined by the Gibbs free energy change (ΔG) of the reaction.
- For a reaction to be thermodynamically feasible, ΔG must be less than or equal to zero (ΔG ≤ 0). This indicates that the reaction can proceed spontaneously.

2. **Importance of Activation Energy:**
- While ΔG indicates the feasibility of a reaction, it does not provide information about how fast the reaction will occur. The rate of a reaction is influenced by the activation energy (Ea), which is the minimum energy required for the reactants to form products.
- A reaction can be thermodynamically feasible (negative ΔG) but still proceed at a very slow rate if the activation energy is high.

3. **Example: Conversion of Diamond to Graphite:**
- Consider the conversion of diamond into graphite. This reaction has a negative ΔG, indicating that it is thermodynamically feasible.
- However, the rate of this reaction is extremely slow because the activation energy is very high. This means that even though the reaction can occur, it does so at a negligible rate under normal conditions.

4. **Energy vs. Reaction Coordinate Graph:**
- To visualize this, we can use an energy vs. reaction coordinate graph. In this graph, the energy of the reactants (diamond) is higher than that of the products (graphite), indicating a negative ΔG.
- The peak of the graph represents the transition state or activated complex, and the height of this peak above the reactants represents the activation energy (Ea). For the diamond to convert to graphite, a significant amount of energy must be overcome, which is why the reaction is slow.

5. **Conclusion:**
- In summary, thermodynamic feasibility (ΔG) tells us whether a reaction can occur, but it does not provide information about the rate of the reaction. The rate is determined by the activation energy. Thus, a reaction can be feasible but proceed very slowly if it has a high activation energy.

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