The Arrhenius equation is a formula that expresses the dependence of the rate constant of a reaction on temperature. It is given by: \[ k = A \exp\left(\frac{-E_a}{RT}\right) \] where \( k \) is the rate constant, \( A \) is the pre-exponential factor, \( E_a \) is the activation energy, \( R \) is the universal gas constant, and \( T \) is the temperature in kelvin. This equation highlights why precise temperature measurement in kelvin is crucial for catalytic studies.