Energy Change During

Chemical Reactions
Endothermic and Exothermic
Changes
Exothermic & Endothermic
 Exothermic reactions

1. An exothermic reaction is one which

releases heat energy to the
surroundings
2. The temperature of the surroundings
increases
 Exothermic Reactions
Exothermic reactions increase in temperature.

Examples include:
Burning reactions including the combustion
of fuels.
Detonation of explosives.
Reaction of acids with metals.

Magnesium
reacting with
acid

Thermit reaction

Boardworks Ltd 2003

Activity

Say whether these processes are exothermic.

1. Charcoal burning yes

2. A candle burning. yes

3. A kettle boiling no

4. Ice melting no

5. A firework exploding yes

You have to put heat in for boiling and melting.

You get heat out from all the other processes

Boardworks Ltd 2003

 Exothermic Reactions
Magnesium + Hydrochloric acid
25o C 45o C
magnesium
Heat
energy
given
Gets hot out

Hydrochloric
acid

Boardworks Ltd 2003

 Exothermic Reactions
Almost immediately the hot reaction products start to
lose heat to the surroundings and eventually they return
to room temperature.
25o C
45
Chemical energy becomes heat
energy.
The reaction mixture gets hotter.
Eventually this heat is lost to the
surroundings.
It follows that reaction products have
less chemical energy than the
reactants had to start with.

Boardworks Ltd 2003

Energy Level Diagram for an
Exothermic Reaction

Reactants have more

reactants chemical energy.
Energy / kJ)

Some of this is lost as

heat which spreads out
into the room.

Products now have

products
less chemical energy
than reactants.
Progress of reaction (time)

Boardworks Ltd 2003

Energy Level Diagram for an
Exothermic
Exothermic
Reaction
Reaction
2.
H is how
much energy
reactants is given out
Energy / kJ

H is negative
H=negative because the
products have
less energy than
products the reactants.

Progress of reaction

Boardworks Ltd 2003

Exothermic Reaction - Definition

Exothermic reactions
give out energy. There
is a temperature rise
and H is negative.

reactants

Energy / kJ) H is negative

products

Progress of reaction

Boardworks Ltd 2003

Activity

Boardworks Ltd 2003

 Endothermic reactions

1. An endothermic reaction is on which

takes in heat energy from the
surroundings
2. The temperature of the surroundings
decreases
 Endothermic Reactions
Endothermic reactions cause a decrease in temperature.

Endothermic chemical reactions are

relatively rare.
A few reactions that give off gases are
highly endothermic - get very cold.
Dissolving salts in water is another process
that is often endothermic.

Boardworks Ltd 2003

 Endothermic Reactions
Endothermic reactions cause a decrease in temperature.

Heat
Ammonium energy
nitrate taken
in as
Cools the
mixture
returns
Water back to
room
temp.

Starts 25C Cools to 5C Returns to 25C

Boardworks Ltd 2003
 Endothermic Reactions
The cold reaction products start to gain heat
from the surroundings and eventually return to
room temperature.
o oCC
25
5 The reactants gain energy.

This comes from the substances used in the

reaction and the reaction gets cold.
Eventually heat is absorbed from the
surroundings and the mixture returns to
room temperature.
Overall the chemicals have gained energy.

Boardworks Ltd 2003

Energy Level Diagram for an
Endothermic Process
This is how
much energy
is taken in
products
Energy / kJ)

This is positive
H=+ because the
products have
reactants more energy
than the
reactants.

Progress of reaction

Boardworks Ltd 2003

Endothermic Reaction Definition

Endothermic reactions
take in energy. There is
a temperature drop and
H is positive.

products

Energy / kJ
H=+

reactants

Progress of reaction

Boardworks Ltd 2003

 Boardworks Ltd 2003
Activity

Are these endothermic or exothermic?

1. A red glow spread throughout the mixture and
exo
the temperature rose.
2. The mixture bubbled vigorously but the
endo
temperature dropped 150C.
3. Hydrazine and hydrogen peroxide react so
explosively and powerfully that they are used exo
to power rockets into space.
4. The decaying grass in the compost maker was
considerably above the outside temperature.
exo

Boardworks Ltd 2003

Endothermic and exothermic reactions

Step 1: Energy must be

SUPPLIED to break bonds:

Step 2: Energy is RELEASED

when new bonds are made:

A reaction is EXOTHERMIC if more energy is RELEASED

then SUPPLIED. If more energy is SUPPLIED then is
RELEASED then the reaction is ENDOTHERMIC
 Energy level diagrams
Energy
level

Activation
energy

Energy given
out by
Using a catalyst reaction
might lower the
activation energy

Reaction progress
 Exothermic vs endothermic:

EXOTHERMIC more ENDOTHERMIC

energy is given out than is energy is taken in but
taken in (e.g. burning, not necessarily given out
respiration) (e.g. photosynthesis)
 Burning Methane
CH4 + 2O2 2H2O + CO2

To burn methane
you have to break
all of these bonds:

And then you

have to make
these ones:
 Burning Methane
CH4 + 2O2 2H2O + CO2

Methane

Oxygen

Carbon dioxide Water

 Bond energies
C-H = 435 Kj

O=O = 497 Kj

Total for breaking bonds = 4x435 + 2x497 = 2734 KJ/mol

C=O = 803 Kj H-O = 464 Kj

Total for making bonds = 2x803 + 4x464 = 3462 KJ/mol

Total energy change = 2734-3462 = -728 KJ/mol

Drawing this on an energy diagram:

2734 Kj
3462 Kj

-728 Kj

More energy is given out (3462) than is given in (2734)

the reaction is EXOTHERMIC. The total (nett) energy
change is 728 Kj. An endothermic reaction would have a
positive energy change.
Bond energy values
C-H = 435 KJ/mol

O-H = 464 KJ/mol

O=O = 497 KJ/mol

C=O = 803 KJ/mol

C-O = 360 KJ/mol

C-C = 346 KJ/mol

Activity

Hydrogen peroxide decomposes

as shown: H

Bond Energy (kJ) O O

H H
H-O 464

O-O 146 O O
H
O=O 498

1. Calculate energy for bond

breaking. O O
2. Calculate the energy from bond
making O
3. What is the value of H for the H H
O
reaction shown H H

Boardworks Ltd 2003

Answer

Bond Energy (kJ) H

H-O 464 O O
O-O 146 H H

O=O 498
O O
H
Bond breaking. (endothermic)
4(O-H) + 2(O-O)
=1856+292 = +2148kJ
Bond forming: (exothermic) O O
4(O-H) + 1(O=O)
O
=1856+498 = -2354kJ
H = +2148 2354 = -206kJ H H
O
(Exothermic) H H

Boardworks Ltd 2003

Activity
Copy the summary using the words from the box to fill
in the gaps:

endothermic lose positive

exothermic common
1. Exothermic reactions are _____.
common

2. Reactions that get cold are called _____.

endothermic

3. Bond forming is an _______

exothermic process.
positive H.
4. Endothermic reactions have a _____
5. In exothermic reactions the chemicals ___
lose
chemical energy. continued

Boardworks Ltd 2003

Activity
Copy the summary using the words from the box to fill in the
gaps:

more endothermic activation

1. The energy needed to start off a reaction is

called the activation
______ energy
2. In endothermic reactions bond breaking
requires ___
more energy than is produced by
bond forming.
endothermic process.
3. Bond breaking is an _________

Boardworks Ltd 2003

Which of the following is an endothermic process?

A. Burning wood
B. Reacting an acid and alkali
C. Reacting magnesium with acid
D. Dissolving ammonium nitrate in water

Boardworks Ltd 2003

 Which of the following is true for an exothermic
process?

A. The reactants lose

energy to the
surroundings products
B. The reaction gets cold

Energy / kJ
C. The energy diagram will
be as shown
D. The reaction will have a reactants

H that is positive (+).

Progress of reaction

Boardworks Ltd 2003

Which of the following is true when chemical
bonds are broken?
A. The process is exothermic
B. Energy is given out
C. A physical change is occurring
D. The reaction will have a H that is
positive(+).

Boardworks Ltd 2003

 Which of the following is true for an exothermic
reaction?

A. Bond breaking involves a bigger energy

change than bond making
B. Bond making involves a bigger energy
change than bond breaking
C. Bond making involves the same energy
change as bond breaking

Boardworks Ltd 2003

 Which of the following is the activation energy:

A. X
X
B. Y
C. Z Z

Energy / kJ)
Y

Progress of reaction

Boardworks Ltd 2001

Boardworks Ltd 2003