Background: When the temperature of reactants is higher, the rate of the reaction is faster. At higher temperatures, particles of reactants have more energy, so they move faster. They are more likely to bump into one another and to collide with greater force. For example, when you fry an egg, turning up the heat causes the egg to cook faster. The same principle explains why storing food in a cold refrigerator reduces the rate at which food spoils (see Figure below ). Both food frying and food spoiling are chemical reactions that happen faster at higher temperatures.

Situation: A chef was recently taking inventory of his food when he noticed that identical potatoes were looking different. The chef had purchased them at the same time and they were the same type of potato, but had been stored differently and one of them had spoiled already. Potato A had spots of mold on it, but potato B seemed fresh and ready to cook. The chef was confused.

Question: Which potato was most likely stored in a cold environment?
Answer: potato B

Situation: A chef was recently taking inventory of his food when he noticed that identical potatoes were looking different. The chef had purchased them at the same time and they were the same type of potato, but had been stored differently and one of them had spoiled already. Potato A had spots of mold on it, but potato B seemed fresh and ready to cook. The chef was confused.

Question: Which potato was most likely stored in a warm environment?
Answer: Potato A

Situation: A chef is currently cooking two sausages on different skillets on different burners. These burners are affectionately referred to as Burno and Bako by the staff of the restaurant. These burners do not have temperature readouts though, and instead the chefs rely on chemical analysis to determine things such as heat levels. The chef notices that the sausage cooking on Burno currently has particles moving very quickly, but the one on Bako has particles that are barely moving at all.

Question: Which burner is hotter?
Answer: Burno

Situation: A chef is currently cooking two sausages on different skillets on different burners. These burners are affectionately referred to as Burno and Bako by the staff of the restaurant. These burners do not have temperature readouts though, and instead the chefs rely on chemical analysis to determine things such as heat levels. The chef notices that the sausage cooking on Burno currently has particles moving very quickly, but the one on Bako has particles that are barely moving at all.

Question: Which burner is colder?
Answer: Bako

Situation: A chef is currently cooking two sausages on different skillets on different burners. These burners are affectionately referred to as Burno and Bako by the staff of the restaurant. These burners do not have temperature readouts though, and instead the chefs rely on chemical analysis to determine things such as heat levels. The chef notices that the sausage cooking on Burno currently has particles moving very quickly, but the one on Bako has particles that are barely moving at all.

Question: The sausage on which burner has reactants with more energy?
Answer: Burno

Situation: A chef is currently cooking two sausages on different skillets on different burners. These burners are affectionately referred to as Burno and Bako by the staff of the restaurant. These burners do not have temperature readouts though, and instead the chefs rely on chemical analysis to determine things such as heat levels. The chef notices that the sausage cooking on Burno currently has particles moving very quickly, but the one on Bako has particles that are barely moving at all.

Question: The sausage on which burner has reactants with less energy?
Answer: Bako

Situation: Jennifer stores her bread in the cupboard when she gets home from the grocery store since she thinks it tastes better that way. Martha grew up in a household that always kept their bread in the freezer so that's what she does with her bread.

Question: Which woman's bread will grow mold faster?
Answer: Jennifer

Situation: Jennifer stores her bread in the cupboard when she gets home from the grocery store since she thinks it tastes better that way. Martha grew up in a household that always kept their bread in the freezer so that's what she does with her bread.

Question: Which woman's bread will grow mold slower?
Answer: Martha