Abstract Tolman’s explanation of activation energy is widely referenced and discussed in various levels of chemistry textbooks in China. However, there are clear discrepancies in how it is presented in these textbooks, highlighting a lack of consistent and comprehensive understanding in Tolman’s explanation of activation energy during textbook development process. This article aims to address this issue by tracing key historical literature. It provides an overview of the historical context in which Tolman’ explanation of activation energy emerged. Meanwhile it briefly introduces Tolman’ explanation of activation energy from aspects such as deductive logic, fundamental assumptions, and main conclusions. From the perspective of the history of science, it summarizes the scientific value of Tolman’ explanation of activation energy and provides an analysis of its presentation in current mainstream textbooks.
ZHENG Chao. Historical Analysis on Tolman’ Explanation of Activation Energy and Some Misinterpretations of in Chemistry Textbooks[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Education, 2024, 45(10): 115-122.
