Definition of activated complex (noun) - a combination of reacting particles (atoms; molecules or ions) when they are at the top of the activation energy barrier between the products and the reactants

Plural: Activated Complexes

Example sentences with this word:

• The activated complex is the transition state for the reaction.
• The activated complex exists in a transition state during the course of collision; once formed it will change into the products of the reaction.
• The arrangement of molecules at the potential energy maximum is known as the "activated complex".

Appears in following categories: PCAT, MCAT