In chemistry, an exothermic reaction is one that releases heat. It is the opposite of an endothermic reaction. Expressed in a chemical equation:
reactants -->product + energy
When using a calorimeter, the change in heat of the calorimeter is equal to the opposite of the change in heat of the system. This means that when the solution in which the reaction is taking place gains heat, the reaction is exothermic.
In an exothermic reaction the total energy absorbed in bond breaking is less than the total energy released in bond making.
The absolute amount of energy in a chemical system is extremely difficult to measure or calculate. The enthalpy change, ΔH, of a chemical reaction is much easier to measure and calculate. A bomb calorimeter is very suitable for measuring the energy change, ΔH, of a combustion reaction. Measured and calculated ΔH values are related to bond energies by:
ΔH = energy used in bond breaking reactions - energy released in bond making products.
For an exothermic reaction, this gives a negative value for ΔH as a larger value is subtracted from a smaller value. For example, when hydrogen burns:
In Chemistry an endothermic reaction is one in which the products have more energy than the reactants, and thus a net input of energy, usually in the form of heat, is required. Endothermic reactions are often described as reactions that "feel cold", and contrast with exothermic reactions, in which heat is released.
Although the process of bond breaking amongst reactants in a chemical process requires an initial input of energy (the activation energy), in the case of an endothermic reaction, the energy released when bonds are formed to create reactants is less than that required to break the bonds in the products; bonding electrons in the products are therefore at a higher energy than the reactants. Heat energy from the material surrounding the reactants is usually what breaks their bonds, so as heat energy is transferred from the surroundings to the reactants, the surroundings get colder. This is often summarized in a chemical equation as follows:
Reactants + Energy → Products
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