What impact does increasing temperature have on reaction rates?

Increasing the temperature generally increases reaction rates due to several factors. At higher temperatures, the kinetic energy of the molecules involved in a reaction rises, which causes them to move faster. This increased movement leads to a higher frequency of collisions between reactant molecules.

Moreover, not only do the molecules collide more often, but the energy of each collision is also greater due to their increased kinetic energy. This means that a larger proportion of collisions will have enough energy to overcome the activation energy barrier required for the reaction to proceed.

As a result, most chemical reactions will proceed at a faster rate when the temperature is raised, making option C the correct choice. This principle is widely observed and documented in chemical kinetics, indicating that temperature is a crucial factor in influencing how quickly reactions occur.