How to speed up chemical reactions (and get a date) - Aaron Sams

如何加速化学反应（得到约会）

翻译人员: Peggy Zhou 校对人员: Justine Bai

Meet our chemist, Harriet.

来认识一下我们的化学家哈丽尔特

She has a chemical reaction that needs to occur more quickly.

她有一个化学反应需要加速

A chemist has some processes at her disposal

化学家有一些自己的处理步骤

that can help her speed up her reaction,

可以加速化学反应

她知道五个方法

and she knows of five ways.

And to remember them,

为了记住这些方法 她回想起自己

she thinks back to her days as a high school student,

作为一名高中生的日子

and the day she got a date for the dance.

还有她遇到舞伴的那天

当时哈丽尔特上高中 有天在课间学习的时候

Harriet was in high school, studying between classes.

She had lost track of time and was going to be late to class.

她忘记了时间 上课就要迟到了

Unbeknownst to her,

谁知道 哈罗德 就在拐角处也要迟到了

Harold, who was just around the corner, was running late, too.

They both sprinted to class

他们俩人冲向教室

and, as it happened, sprinted directly into one another.

于是就这样发生了 彼此直接撞到一起

Now, this was no small collision.

嘿 这个碰撞可不轻

They ran squarely into one another in such a way

他们撞了个满怀 哈罗德把哈丽尔特手里的书都撞飞了

that he knocked the books right out of her hand.

“对不起，”哈罗特说：“让我帮你捡。”

"I'm sorry," he said. "Let me help you with your books."

He kindly helped her re-collect her belongings,

他和善地帮哈丽尔特捡起她的东西

and politely offered to walk her to class.

并且礼貌地陪她走进教室

你绝对猜不到那年年底谁一起去参加了舞会

And you'll never guess who went together to the dance later that year.

Yup, those two.

是的 就是他俩

So as we can see from this example,

从这个例子我们可以知道

the key to getting a date for the dance is to collide with someone

得到跳舞约会的关键就在于

和某人冲撞然后把对方手里的书给撞飞

and knock the books out of their hands.

现在你可能已经知道并不是所有的碰撞都能找到舞伴

Now, you're probably already aware

that not all collisions lead to dates for the dance,

谢天谢地

thankfully.

冲撞必须满足两个重要条件：

The collisions must have two important characteristics:

一 能把书撞掉的正确的方向

One, correct orientation that allows books to be knocked from one's hands;

and two, enough energy to knock the books out.

二 足够把书撞飞的能量

这件事情发生后不久

Shortly after this incident,

Harriet decided to tell me, her chemistry teacher, all about it.

哈丽尔特决定把所有事都告诉我——她的化学老师

I noticed some interesting parallels

我发现她的故事和化学反应速率之间

between her story and chemical reaction rates,

有一些有趣的相似之处

which happened to be what she was studying in the hallway

这正是那天撞到哈罗德那天她正好在学习的内容

the day of the collision.

Together, we decided to set out on two missions.

我们一起决定开始两个计划

Harriet wanted to help all chemistry students and chemists

哈丽尔特想帮助所有学化学的学生

remember how to speed up the rate of chemical reactions

和化学家们记住如何提高化学反应的速率

and I, being the nice guy that I am,

还有我这个大好人，决定了我的计划

decided to make it my mission to help create educational environments

就是帮助创造学习环境

能发生更多碰撞的学习环境

in which more book-dropping collisions can take place

to increase future chemists' chances of getting a date for the dance.

借此来增加未来的化学家们

找到舞伴的机会

In order to facilitate this improved dance-date-getting process,

为了加速这种改进的获得舞伴/约会的过程

I propose five changes to all schools

我向所有学校提议5项变革

that parallel Harriet's five ways to increase chemical reaction rates.

这和哈丽尔特提高化学反应速率的五种方法很相似

First, I propose that we shrink the size of the hallways.

第一 我提议缩小走廊的面积

This will make it more difficult to safely navigate the hallways

这样增加了在走廊安全行走的难度

and will cause more collisions than in larger hallways.

并且这样比宽敞的走廊有更多碰撞的机会

我们通过增加碰撞的次数 也增加了

And by increasing the number of collisions,

其中的一些碰撞将具有正确的路线

we increase the likelihood

that some of those collisions will have the correct alignment

和足够的能量以创建一次跳舞约会的可能性

and enough energy to create a date to the dance.

Now, chemically speaking,

用化学术语来说 这相当于

this is equivalent to lowering the volume of a reaction vessel

降低反应容器或反应混合物的体积

or a reaction mixture.

In doing so, the individual particles are closer together,

在这种情况下 单个粒子越靠近

and more collisions will occur.

越会发生更多碰撞

更多的冲突意味着更大的可能性的

More collisions means a greater likelihood

that collisions with the appropriate energy and configuration will happen.

碰撞与适当的能量和配置会发生

Second, I propose increasing the overall population of the school.

第二 我提议增加学校的总入学人数

More students equals more collisions.

更多的学生等于更多的碰撞

通过增加可用于碰撞粒子的数量

By increasing the number of particles available for collision,

we create an environment where more collisions can take place.

我们创造了一个让更多的碰撞可能发生的环境

Third, we must reduce the time allowed between classes --

第三 我们必须减少课间的时间

就让我们减少一半

heck, let's just cut it in half.

In doing so, students will need to move more quickly

这样学生们将需要尽快从一个教室转到另一个教室

to get from one class to the next.

这个增加的速度将有助于确保碰撞

This increase in velocity will help make sure

collisions have the appropriate amount of energy necessary

具有相应数量的能量以确保书碰落

to ensure book-dropping.

This is analogous to increasing the temperature of the reaction mixture.

这个类似于

提高反应混合物的温度

Higher temperature means particles are moving faster.

较高的温度意味粒子移动得更快

Faster-moving particles means more energy,

较快移动的粒子具有更多能量

and a greater likelihood of the reaction-causing collision.

和更有可能造成碰撞反应

Fourth, students must stop traveling in packs.

第四学生们必须停止集体行动

By traveling in packs, the students on the outside of the pack

集体行动中 外围的学生们

insulate those in the middle from undergoing any collisions.

使中间的学生隔离 无法经历任何碰撞

By splitting up, each student has more area exposed

通过分散 每个学生有更多外露面积

that is available for a collision from a passing student.

可以和经过的学生进行碰撞

When particles travel in packs, the surface area is very small,

当粒子聚集移动

表面积非常小 而且只有外层的粒子能碰撞

and only the outside particles can collide.

However, by breaking up the clumps into individual particles,

但是把粒子团分散成单个粒子

the total surface area is increased,

其总体表面积增加

and each particle has an exposed surface that can react.

而且每个粒子有一个可以反应的外露面

第五点也是最后一点 我们要雇一个媒人

Fifth and finally, we hire a matchmaker.

Is this colliding and book-dropping too violent?

这样的碰撞和书本坠落太暴力了吗？

Is there an easier way to get a date that requires less initial energy?

有没有更简单 需要较少初始能量的方法来获得约会？

Then a matchmaker will help with this.

媒人将有助于这点

The matchmaker makes it easier for a couple to get together,

媒人通过协调匹配

by coordinating the match.

使一对夫妻更容易结合

我们的媒人就像是一帖催化剂

Our matchmaker is like a catalyst.

Chemical catalysts function by lowering the activation energy --

化学反应的催化剂通过降低活化能发挥作用

in other words, by lowering the energy required to start a reaction.

换句话说，通过降低开始反应所需的能量

They do this by bringing two particles together

他们这样做是通过将两个粒子一起

and orienting them correctly in space so that the two can meet

在空间正确定向 使两者可以

在正确的配置相遇 并允许反应发生

at the correct configuration and allow a reaction to take place.

So, to sum up: if a future chemist wants a date for the dance,

所以总结一下：

如果一位未来的化学家想找到舞伴

he must collide with another person

他必须要和另一人冲撞并把对方手里的书撞飞

and knock the books out of their hands.

And if a chemist wants to make a chemical reaction occur,

如果一个化学家想使化学反应发生

粒子必须使用适当数量的能量

the particles must collide in the correct orientation

with an appropriate amount of energy.

按照正确的方向碰撞

And both of these processes can be accelerated,

而这两个过程都可以用我所描述的五个方法加速

using the five methods I've described.