What does a reaction profile show?
How energy changes as a reaction proceeds, using a curved pathway between the reactant and product energy levels.
AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy (8464) — Chemistry — Higher · 5.5.1.2
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What does a reaction profile show?
How energy changes as a reaction proceeds, using a curved pathway between the reactant and product energy levels.
What does the highest point on a reaction profile represent?
The activation energy barrier that must be overcome.
What does the difference between the reactant and product energy levels show on a reaction profile?
The overall energy change of the reaction.
In an exothermic reaction profile, how do the product and reactant energy levels compare, and what does this indicate about energy transfer?
Products are at a lower energy than reactants, so energy is released overall.
In an endothermic reaction profile, how do the product and reactant energy levels compare, and what does this indicate about energy transfer?
Products are at a higher energy than reactants, so energy is taken in overall.
What is the activation energy of a chemical reaction?
The minimum energy reacting particles must have at collision for the reaction to occur.
Why must reacting particles have enough energy when they collide?
For bonds to start breaking and new arrangements to become possible.
How is activation energy shown on a simple energy diagram?
As the energy barrier that must be overcome before reactants can change into products.