Final answer:
Minimum energy, or activation energy, along with proper orientation, is vital for effective collisions in chemical reactions. It ensures that reactant particles can overcome energy barriers and interact correctly to form new bonds.
Step-by-step explanation:
Minimum energy is needed for an effective collision in chemical reactions because reactant particles must have sufficient energy to break pre-existing bonds and form new ones. This minimum energy is known as activation energy, abbreviated as Ea. In addition to energy, proper orientation is crucial for a successful reaction. Without this orientation, even if particles collide with enough energy, they may not interact in a way that leads to the breaking and forming of bonds.
An increase in temperature generally leads to an increase in the particles' energy, making it easier to surpass the activation energy threshold. When the reactant particles have enough energy and the correct orientation during a collision, there is a higher probability that the collision will be effective, leading to a chemical reaction. These factors elucidate the importance of both energy and orientation in collision theory.