Question

A scientist is studying a chemical reaction. She predicts that after the reaction the product will have less chemical potential energy than the reactants had originally. The scientist observes the reaction, and notes that no light or sound is produced. However, other observations support the scientist's prediction that the total chemical potential energy has decreased. DESCRIBE one observation that would support her prediction.

Answer 1

The reaction becomes warmer or hotter as it proceeds. This means that touching the container in which the reaction is taking place would feel hotter. This means the reaction dissipates heat energy and has a negative enthalpy. The reaction is written with a negative delta- H in the products side for the reaction to be balanced.