Question

The dissolution of calcium chloride in water is given by the following equation:

CaCl2(s) + 2H2O → Ca(OH)2(aq) + 2HCl(g) + heat

How would an energy graph of this reaction appear?

(1 point)
Responses

The reactants and products would appear at a low energy state.
The reactants and products would appear at a low energy state.

The reactants and products would appear at a high energy state.
The reactants and products would appear at a high energy state.

The reactants would appear at a higher energy state than the products.
The reactants would appear at a higher energy state than the products.

The reactants would appear at a lower energy state than the products.
The reactants would appear at a lower energy state than the products.

Answer 1

To determine how the energy graph of the dissolution of calcium chloride would appear, we need to analyze the nature of the reaction. The equation indicates that calcium chloride dissolves in water, producing calcium hydroxide and hydrogen chloride gas while releasing heat, which suggests that the reaction is exothermic.

In an exothermic reaction, the reactants have higher energy compared to the products, as energy is released to the surroundings.

Therefore, the correct response would be:

**The reactants would appear at a higher energy state than the products.**