eyring

Eyring is a surname associated with several individuals in science and public life, most notably in American chemistry. The name is best known in connection with Henry Eyring, a theoretical chemist whose work helped lay the foundations of modern chemical kinetics.

Henry Eyring (1901–1981) formulated transition state theory, a framework for understanding how chemical reactions proceed through a fleeting, high-energy activated complex. He also developed the Eyring equation, a quantitative relationship between the rate constant of a reaction and temperature, expressed in terms of activation parameters. A common form of the equation relates k to the Gibbs free energy of activation, ΔG‡, through k = (k_B T/h) exp(-ΔG‡/RT), with ΔG‡ = ΔH‡ − TΔS‡. Eyring’s theories provided a molecular-level view of reaction rates and influenced studies in catalysis, thermodynamics, and physical chemistry throughout the mid-20th century and beyond.

Beyond Henry Eyring, the surname appears among other individuals who have contributed to academia, industry, and religious communities, particularly in the United States. While Henry Eyring's impact on science is widely recognized, the name remains part of broader discussions in chemistry and the history of science.