Term: line-of-centres model https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.L03563 Definition: A form of the collision theory of chemical reactions in which the assumption is made that reaction can only occur if on collision the component of energy along the line of centres of the masses of the colliding species is greater than a particular threshold energy. Related Terms: 1) collision theory (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.C01170). 2) threshold energy (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.T06366). Source: PAC, 1996, 68, 149. 'A glossary of terms used in chemical kinetics, including reaction dynamics (IUPAC Recommendations 1996)' on page 171 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199668010149) Citation: 'line-of-centres model' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.L03563 License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms. Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.