In case of collision of each of atom that can generating reaction, there is concept called

collisional cross section or an ‘effective area’ that quantifies the likelihood of a scattering
event when an incident species strikes a target species. In a a hard object approximation, the
cross section is the area of the conventional geometric cross section. The collisional cross
sections typically denoted σ and measured in units of area. But to work there is three
assumptions to satisfies 1. All particles moves linearly in spaces, 2. All particles are hard
spheres 3. Only two particles are involved in the collision