Reaction Profiles — GCSE Chemistry Revision
Revise Reaction Profiles for GCSE Chemistry. Step-by-step explanation, worked examples, common mistakes and exam-style practice aligned to AQA, Edexcel, OCR, WJEC, Eduqas, CCEA, Cambridge International (CIE), SQA, IB, AP.
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Go to Bond Energy CalculationsWhat is Reaction Profiles?
A reaction profile, or energy level diagram, shows the energy changes that occur during a chemical reaction. It plots the energy of the system against the progress of the reaction. The diagram shows the relative energies of the reactants and products, the activation energy, and the overall enthalpy change (ΔH).
Board notes: Reaction profiles are a key way of visualising energy changes and are covered by all boards, particularly for higher-tier students. You must be able to draw, label, and interpret them for both exothermic and endothermic reactions, and show the effect of a catalyst.
Step-by-step explanationWorked example
For an exothermic reaction, the reactants are at a higher energy level than the products. The reaction profile shows a downward slope from reactants to products. The overall enthalpy change (ΔH) is negative. For an endothermic reaction, the products are at a higher energy level, the slope is upwards, and ΔH is positive.
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Common mistakes
- 1Drawing the profile for an exothermic reaction with the products higher than the reactants, or vice versa for an endothermic reaction. Remember: exothermic releases energy (products lower), endothermic absorbs energy (products higher).
- 2Incorrectly labelling the activation energy. It is the 'hump' from the reactants' energy level to the peak of the curve.
- 3Confusing the activation energy with the overall enthalpy change. The enthalpy change is the net difference in energy between products and reactants.
Reaction Profiles exam questions
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Step-by-step method
Step-by-step explanation
4 steps · Worked method for Reaction Profiles
Core concept
A reaction profile, or energy level diagram, shows the energy changes that occur during a chemical reaction. It plots the energy of the system against the progress of the reaction. The diagram shows t…
Frequently asked questions
What is activation energy?
Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy that reactant particles must have in order to collide successfully and start a reaction.
How does a catalyst affect a reaction profile?
A catalyst provides an alternative reaction pathway with a lower activation energy. On a reaction profile, this is shown as a lower 'hump', but the energy levels of the reactants and products remain the same.