Final answer:
Potential energy diagrams are used to illustrate the energy changes during a chemical reaction, from which one can determine the change in energy and activation energy for the reactions. Specific numerical answers require actual values from the diagrams.
Step-by-step explanation:
The energy changes during a chemical reaction can be visualized using potential energy diagrams, which show the difference in potential energy between reactants, transition states, and products throughout the reaction.
Change in Energy
For reaction A, the change in energy (∆Erxn) would be the difference in the energy level of the products minus the reactants. Similarly, for reaction B, the ∆Erxn is also calculated by subtracting the product's energy from the reactant's energy. If the potential energy of the products is higher than the reactants, the reaction is endothermic (∆Erxn > 0), and if it's lower, the reaction is exothermic (∆Erxn < 0).
Activation Energy
The activation energy (Ea) for a reaction is found by calculating the difference between the energy level of the transition state and the reactants. It represents the energy barrier that must be overcome for the reaction to proceed. Diagram A would depict a different Ea compared to Diagram B based on the energy of the transition state provided in each diagram.
Without specific values provided in the hypothetical diagrams, we cannot give numerical answers for ∆Erxn and Ea for reactions A and B. Normally, you would use the given energy levels on the diagram to calculate these values.