What does an exothermic reaction profile look like?

An exothermic reaction profile shows energy being released, with products having less energy than reactants.

In an exothermic reaction profile, the energy level starts high and ends low, indicating that energy is being released during the reaction. This is because the energy required to break the bonds in the reactants is less than the energy released when new bonds are formed in the products. The difference in energy is released, usually in the form of heat, hence the term 'exothermic', which means 'outside heat'.

The reaction profile is typically represented as a graph with the progress of the reaction on the x-axis and the energy on the y-axis. The reactants are shown on the left side of the graph, starting at a higher energy level. As the reaction progresses, the energy level decreases, representing the release of energy. The products are shown on the right side of the graph, at a lower energy level.

The peak of the graph represents the activation energy, which is the minimum energy required to start the reaction. For an exothermic reaction, this is the energy needed to break the bonds in the reactants. Once this energy is supplied, the reaction can proceed and energy is released as the products form.

In summary, an exothermic reaction profile is a visual representation of the energy changes during a reaction. It shows that the products of the reaction have less energy than the reactants, indicating that energy has been released. This is a key characteristic of exothermic reactions, which are common in many areas of chemistry, including combustion reactions and many acid reactions.