What can be said about the potential energy of an exothermic reaction?

Question

Responses

This reaction releases energy to the surroundings.
This reaction releases energy to the surroundings.

This reaction creates new energy that was not there before.
This reaction creates new energy that was not there before.

This reaction takes in energy from the surroundings.
This reaction takes in energy from the surroundings.

This reaction does not involve an energy change.

Answer 1

In an exothermic reaction, the potential energy of the products is lower than that of the reactants. This results in the release of energy to the surroundings, usually in the form of heat or light. Therefore, the correct response is:

This reaction releases energy to the surroundings.

The other options are incorrect, as they suggest the creation of new energy, intake of energy from the surroundings, or no energy change, all of which do not accurately describe an exothermic reaction.