Final answer:
Activation energy in chemistry is the energy needed to start a chemical reaction. If no activation energy were required, reactions such as the breakdown of sucrose would occur spontaneously and immediate storage would be unfeasible. The effects listed in the student's question do not apply to the chemical concept of activation energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Activation energy is a critical concept in chemistry that concerns the energy required to initiate a chemical reaction. It can be understood as a barrier that reactants must overcome to transform into products. If the activation energy of a reaction is high, the reaction will proceed more slowly. However, in biological systems, catalysis plays a crucial role in lowering the activation energy, enabling reactions to proceed at a much faster rate which is essential for life processes. For example, the breakdown of sucrose (table sugar) in the body happens at a significant rate because enzymes lower the activation energy, thus catalyzing the reaction.
If no activation energy was required, as in the hypothetical case with sucrose in the question, this would mean reactions could occur spontaneously without any additional input of energy. Therefore, storing sucrose in a sugar bowl without any activation energy barrier would be impossible because it would react immediately with its surroundings and wouldn't remain as sucrose.
The student's question about the effects of activation energy seems to confuse the concept with personal productivity strategies, whereas activation energy in the context of chemistry does not affect habits, task difficulty, procrastination, or any other personal behaviors.