A student views the graph below.The student is trying to explain why the amount of energy released during the reaction is the same for both the enzyme-catalyzed reaction, and the reaction without an enzyme.

Question

Which of the following is the best explanation?

Question 5 options:

The product is identical for both reactions, so this means the amount of energy released from the products being formed is the same since it has the same type and number of bonds.

The reactants are the same for both reactions, and the reactants determine the amount of energy released at the end of the reaction.

The activation energy is different for each reaction, and this causes the overall energy left to be the same.

The products are different, so the graph is actually incorrect and the amount of energy released should be different.

Answer 1

The best explanation for why the amount of energy released during the enzyme-catalyzed reaction is the same as the reaction without an enzyme is:

The reactants are the same for both reactions, and the reactants determine the amount of energy released at the end of the reaction.

This explanation correctly identifies that while enzymes can lower the activation energy required for the reaction to proceed, they do not change the overall energy released by the reaction. The energy difference between the reactants and products is what ultimately determines the amount of energy released, and since the reactants and products are the same in both scenarios, the energy released will also be the same.