Question

Which statement best describes the reaction pathway graph for an exothermic reaction but not an endothermic reaction?

It has a hill in the middle that is the highest point.
It has a valley in the middle that is its lowest point.
The reactants are higher in energy than the products.
The products are higher in energy than the reactants.

Answer 1

The reactants are higher in energy than products

Step-by-step explanation:

exothermic reactions release energy meaning that the reactants need to have a higher energy than the products

Answer 2

The reactants are higher in energy than products

Step-by-step explanation:

Any chemical reaction can be classified into either exothermic or endothermic.

Let us understand the term:

1. exothermic: Heat released to the environment is called exothermic

2. endothermic: Heat absorbed from the environment is called endothermic

According to the pathway diagram, we can say that "reactants are higher in energy than the products". Here in the given diagram, only less energy is required thus resulting in energy being released which is considered as exothermic.

Thus we can conclude that "the reactants are higher in energy than the products".