By Kamal Ahmad

LGS, BSS, CBS

Chapter: Energy Changes

Exothermic Reaction: A reaction that releases heat. Sign of ∆H is negative.
Example: C + O2 → CO2 ∆H = -393 kJ/mol
Endothermic Reaction: A reaction that absorbs heat. Sign of ∆H is positive.
Example: N2 + O2 → 2NO ∆H = +66 kJ/mol
How a chemical reaction takes place?
Particles/atoms/molecules of reactant are moving and collide with each other. During collision bonds of
reactant break up and new bonds of product form.
Bond breaking absorbs energy so it is an endothermic process.
Bond forming releases energy so it is an exothermic process.
Bond Energy
“Energy required to break a bond or energy released during bond formation”.
How to explain in terms of the energy changes associated with bond breaking and bond
forming that a reaction is exothermic or endothermic?
Exothermic:
Bond breaking absorbs energy and bond forming releases energy. In this reaction, more energy is released
than absorbed
Endothermic:
Bond breaking absorbs energy and bond forming releases energy. In this reaction, less energy is released than
absorbed
Activation energy (Ea)
“It is the energy that is required to break the bonds of reactants” or “it is the minimum amount of energy that
the molecules must have to start a reaction”.
Catalyst
“A substance that speed up rate of reaction by lowering activation energy and by providing alternative
reaction pathway.”
Important catalysts and their uses in industry
 Iron (Fe) is used as catalyst in Haber process to produce ammonia (NH 3)
 Vanadium oxide (V2O5) is used in Contact process to produce sulphur trioxide (SO 3)
 Nickle (Ni) is used in hydrogenation of cooking oil to produce margarine
Important points about catalyst:
 Catalyst reduces the energy cost of process/reaction because less temperature is needed so less fuel is
used
 Catalyst cannot increase the yield (amount of product)
 Amount of catalyst remains unchanged at the end of reaction. If a graph is drawn between time and mass
of catalyst, then we get a straight line parallel to x-axis
 A catalyst can be either an inorganic substance e.g. Fe, Ni, V 2O5 or an organic specie e.g. enzymes
(enzymes are also catalysts e.g. yeast in the conversion of glucose into ethanol and CO2)
 A catalyst takes part in the reaction but gets separated when product is formed.

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 By Kamal Ahmad
LGS, BSS, CBS
 A catalyst does not provide the energy required to start a reaction (that is called activation energy, E a)
because a lot of reactions occur without the catalyst. Remember that a catalyst only lowers the activation
energy, Ea of the reaction.

Energy Profile Diagrams

For Exothermic Reaction

For Endothermic Reaction

“Generally, we can say that Enthalpy is energy”

Important parts of diagrams

 In exothermic reaction, reactants are at higher energy level
 In endothermic reaction, products are at higher energy level
 Distance between reactants and top of the curve is energy of activation, Ea. Direction of arrow of Ea is
always upward
 Distance between reactants and products is ∆H. Direction of arrow of ∆H is downward in exothermic
reaction and direction of arrow of ∆H is upward in endothermic reaction

Note: Distance between products and top of the curve is nothing

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 By Kamal Ahmad
LGS, BSS, CBS
Diagram of an exothermic reaction with and without catalyst

Finding ∆H of a reaction by using bond energies

Formula

∆H = [Sum of bond energies of reactants] – [sum of bond energies of products]

Question. Find ∆H of following reaction

N2(g) + 3H2(g) ⇌ 2NH3(g)

Or

Bond Bond
Energy
945
H-H 436
N-H 391

Solution:

∆H = [945 + 3(436)] – [6(391)]

= -93 kJ/mol

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 By Kamal Ahmad
LGS, BSS, CBS
Some important exothermic and endothermic reactions/processes
Exothermic Endothermic
Respiration Photosynthesis
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2
Conditions Conditions
 Enzyme  Chlorophyll
 37 OC  sunlight
Combustion Thermal Decomposition (by heating)
C + O2 → CO2 + heat CaCO3 + heat → CaO + CO2
Freezing Melting
Condensation Evaporation/Boiling
Neutralization reaction of acid & base -