In the context of energy profile graphs, the enthalpy change (\( \Delta H \)) during a chemical reaction is calculated as the difference between the enthalpy of the products and the enthalpy of the reactants. The formula can be expressed as:
\[ \Delta H = H_{\text{products}} - H_{\text{reactants}} \]
Where:
- \( H_{\text{products}} \) is the enthalpy of the products of the reaction.
- \( H_{\text{reactants}} \) is the enthalpy of the reactants of the reaction.
In energy profile graphs, this difference is usually represented visually as the vertical distance between the starting point (reactants) and the endpoint (products) of the reaction.
If \( \Delta H \) is positive, the reaction is endothermic (absorbs heat), and if \( \Delta H \) is negative, the reaction is exothermic (releases heat).
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