Question detail
What does the vertical gap between reactants and products show on an exothermic reaction profile?
Try the question, check the answer, then read the explanation to understand the curriculum point.
At a glance
MCQ
Type
practice
Style
Topic
Exothermic and endothermic reactions
Question
- A. The energy transferred to the surroundings during the reaction.
- B. The minimum energy particles need before they collide.
- C. The number of particles that reacted successfully.
- D. The energy absorbed from surroundings during an endothermic reaction.
Answer
The energy transferred to the surroundings during the reaction. The profile gap shows the overall exothermic energy change.
Explanation
The energy transferred to the surroundings is represented by the difference between reactant and product energy levels. This separates the overall energy change from the peak that shows activation energy.
Common mistake
Confusing Energy Transfer
Students often state that the products of an exothermic reaction have more energy than the reactants.
Remember that in an exothermic reaction, energy is transferred to the surroundings, resulting in products that have less energy than the reactants.
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