Reactants have a higher enthelpy

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SUMMARY

In an exothermic reaction, the reactants possess higher enthalpy compared to the products, as illustrated in energy profile diagrams. While the reactants exhibit lower bond enthalpy, the products have higher bond enthalpy due to the greater energy released during bond formation. This distinction clarifies that enthalpy and bond enthalpy are not synonymous. The reaction process involves an initial increase in energy, reaching a peak known as Activation Energy, followed by a decrease in energy, forming a bell-shaped graph.

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  • Understanding of exothermic and endothermic reactions
  • Familiarity with enthalpy and bond enthalpy concepts
  • Knowledge of energy profile diagrams
  • Basic grasp of Activation Energy in chemical reactions
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  • Study the differences between enthalpy and bond enthalpy in detail
  • Learn how to interpret energy profile diagrams for various reactions
  • Explore the concept of Activation Energy and its significance in reaction kinetics
  • Investigate the thermodynamic principles governing exothermic and endothermic reactions
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Chemistry students, educators, and professionals interested in thermodynamics and reaction mechanisms will benefit from this discussion.

GeneralOJB
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Am I right in saying that, in an exothermic reaction for example, the reactants have a higher enthalpy, and the products have a lower enthalpy, as seen from the energy profile diagram.
But the reactants have a lower bond enthalpy, and the products have a higher bond enthalpy, because a lower amount of energy is required to break the bonds in the reactants, but a higher amount of energy is released when the new bonds are formed. This just confused me as I thought enthalpy and bond enthalpy were the same thing!
 
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During the course of reaction, the internal energy, and by extension, enthalpy, changes.

For e.g. During a reaction, the energy first increases to a certain maximum level (Difference in energy is called Activation Energy) then it comes down. (You know the bell-shaped graph)

The reactions doesn't takes place in arithmetic method. Even if burning is exothermic, it doesn't mean that we do not have to provide energy to do it.
 

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