Chemistry from Telephone Numbers: The False Isokinetic Relationship

The “isokinetic relationship” is a purported linear relationship among the enthalpies and entropies of activation along a series of reactions. The standard technique for determining whether an isokinetic relationship holds for a particular group of reactions is incorrect, and will “discover” the relationship where it does not exist. The paper describes an amusing example of its failure, shows why the false correlations occur, and gives brief descriptions of correct approaches and references to them.