Title: compensation
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - compensation
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.C01195
Status: current

Definition
For the process: \[k = A\ \rm{e}^{\frac{-E}{R\ T}}\] where \(k\) is a rate constant, \(A\) the frequency factor and \(E\) the activation energy, \(A\) and \(E\) sometimes exhibit compensation, i.e. they change in the same direction with change in catalyst for a given reaction or with change in reaction for a given catalyst.

Related Terms
- activation energy: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/A00102
- catalyst: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/C00876
- rate constant: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/O04322

Source
- PAC, 1976, 46, 71. 'Manual of Symbols and Terminology for Physicochemical Quantities and Units - Appendix II. Definitions, Terminology and Symbols in Colloid and Surface Chemistry. Part II: Heterogeneous Catalysis' on page 82 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197646010071)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/C01195/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/C01195/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/C01195/xml

Citation: Citation: 'compensation' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.C01195
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Accessed: 2026-06-24T17:59:16+00:00