Energy Change During

Chemical Reactions
Endothermic and Exothermic
Changes

Exothermic
Exothermic&&Endothermic
Endothermic

Exothermic
Exothermicreactions
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
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Activity

Say whether these processes are exothermic.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Charcoal burning
A candle burning.
A kettle boiling
Ice melting
A firework exploding

yes
yes
no
no
yes

You have to put heat in for boiling and melting.

You get heat out from all the other processes

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Exothermic Reactions

Magnesium + Hydrochloric acid

25o C

45o C
magnesium

Gets hot

Heat
energy
given
out

Hydrochloric
acid

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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.
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Energy Level Diagram for an

Exothermic Reaction

Energy / kJ)

reactants

Reactants have more

chemical energy.
Some of this is lost as
heat which spreads out
into the room.
products

Products now have

less chemical energy
than reactants.

Progress of reaction (time)

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Energy Level Diagram for an

Exothermic
Exothermic
Reaction
Reaction
2.
H is how

much energy
is given out

Energy / kJ

reactants

H=negative
products

H is negative

because the
products have
less energy than
the reactants.

Progress of reaction
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Exothermic Reaction - Definition

Energy / kJ)

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

reactants

H is negative
products
Progress of reaction
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Activity

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Endothermic
Endothermicreactions
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.

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Endothermic Reactions
Endothermic reactions cause a decrease in temperature.

Ammonium
nitrate
Cools

Water

Starts 25C

Cools to 5C

Heat
energy
taken
in as the
mixture
returns
back to
room
temp.

Returns to 25C
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Endothermic Reactions

The cold reaction products start to gain heat

from the surroundings and eventually return to
room temperature.
o oo C
25
5
C

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.

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Energy Level Diagram for an

Endothermic Process

Energy / kJ)

products

H=+
reactants

This is how
much energy
is taken in
This is positive
because the
products have
more energy
than the
reactants.

Progress of reaction
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Endothermic Reaction Definition

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

H is positive.

Energy / kJ

products

H=+
reactants
Progress of reaction

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Activity

Are these endothermic or exothermic?

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

exo
endo

exo

exo

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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

Using a catalyst
might lower the
activation energy

Energy given
out by
reaction

Reaction progress

Exothermic vs endothermic:

EXOTHERMIC more
energy is given out than is
taken in (e.g. burning,
respiration)

ENDOTHERMIC
energy is taken in but
not necessarily given out
(e.g. photosynthesis)

Burning Methane
CH4 + 2O2

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

And then you

have to make
these ones:

2H2O + CO2

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:
Bond

Energy (kJ)

H-O

464

O-O

146

O=O

1.
2.
3.

O
H

O
H

498

Calculate energy for bond

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

O
O

O
H

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Answer

Bond

Energy (kJ)

H-O

464

O-O

146

O=O

498

Bond breaking. (endothermic)

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

O
H

O
H

O
O

O
H

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

endothermic
exothermic

lose
common

positive

1. Exothermic reactions are _____.

common
endothermic
2. Reactions that get cold are called _____.

3. Bond forming is an _______

exothermic process.
positive H.
4. Endothermic reactions have a _____
lose
5. In exothermic reactions the chemicals ___
continued
chemical energy.
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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
more energy than is produced by
requires ___
bond forming.
endothermic process.
3. Bond breaking is an _________

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Which of the following is an endothermic process?

A.
B.
C.
D.

Burning wood
Reacting an acid and alkali
Reacting magnesium with acid
Dissolving ammonium nitrate in water

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Which of the following is true for an exothermic

process?

products
Energy / kJ

A. The reactants lose

energy to the
surroundings
B. The reaction gets cold
C. The energy diagram will
be as shown
D. The reaction will have a
H that is positive (+).

reactants
Progress of reaction

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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(+).

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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

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Which of the following is the activation

energy:
A. X
B. Y
C. Z

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