Question
What does it mean for a reaction to release energy?
A. The relative potential energy of the reaction is negative
B. The activation energy of the reaction is negative
C. The activation energy of the reaction is positive
D. The relative potential energy
A. The relative potential energy of the reaction is negative
B. The activation energy of the reaction is negative
C. The activation energy of the reaction is positive
D. The relative potential energy
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The best option that corresponds to what it means for a reaction to release energy is:
**A. The relative potential energy of the reaction is negative.**
When a reaction releases energy, it is often described as an exothermic reaction. This indicates that the products have lower potential energy compared to the reactants, thus resulting in a release of energy (often in the form of heat). This will usually be reflected in a negative change in free energy (ΞG) or enthalpy (ΞH) for the reaction.
Options B and C refer to activation energy, which is the energy needed to initiate a reaction but does not directly relate to whether a reaction releases energy. Option D is incomplete and does not provide sufficient information.
**A. The relative potential energy of the reaction is negative.**
When a reaction releases energy, it is often described as an exothermic reaction. This indicates that the products have lower potential energy compared to the reactants, thus resulting in a release of energy (often in the form of heat). This will usually be reflected in a negative change in free energy (ΞG) or enthalpy (ΞH) for the reaction.
Options B and C refer to activation energy, which is the energy needed to initiate a reaction but does not directly relate to whether a reaction releases energy. Option D is incomplete and does not provide sufficient information.