Question

Which statement is a valid conclusion about the activation energy of the reverse reaction if the forward reaction is exothermic?

Answer 1

Answer:

e) The activation energy of the reverse reaction is greater than that of the forward reaction.

Explanation:

• Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy that is required by the reactants to start a reaction.
• An exothermic reaction is a reaction that releases heat energy to the surrounding while an endothermic reactions is a reaction that absorbs heat from the surrounding.
• In reversible reactions, when the forward reaction is exothermic it means the reverse reaction will be endothermic, therefore the reverse reaction will have a higher activation energy than the forward reaction. The activation energy of the reverse reaction will be the sum of the enthalpy and the activation energy of the forward reaction.