Activation energy is defined as

JAMB Chemistry 2023 59 views

Activation energy is defined as

  1. The energy released during a chemical reaction.
  2. The energy needed to break chemical bonds in reactants. ✓
  3. The energy gained by products after a chemical reaction.
  4. The energy difference between reactants and products.

Explanation

Activation energy is the minimum energy required to start a chemical reaction. Molecules must overcome this energy barrier to break existing bonds and form new ones.

Think of activation energy as a hill that reactants must climb before they can transform into products. Higher hills require more energy to get the reaction started.

Catalysts work by lowering activation energy, making it easier for reactions to occur. Even exothermic reactions that release energy overall still need activation energy to begin.

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